signs of summer

fragrant roses


yummy strawberries... Gabe even searches for them now, and he is my super-picky, nothing-healthy-for-me guy

more roses...love this color

daisies taking over the front yard

and snapdragons...every year new color variations pop up


little swallow birdie too anxious to spread his wings


fell all the way down from this nest, parents just didn't know what to do...other than dive bombing anyone who got too close.

we tried to help out...loved & fed him for a couple days. (won't tell you the sad ending.) :(

But i just love these long, slow summer days.

Run, Jonah, RUN!

Our town had its annual festival recently, and among many activities was a one-mile race. J was very interested, particularly in the prize that would be awarded. After coming to terms with the fact that (as far as we knew) running the race was its own prize, he decided to run. Racers ranged in age from babies in strollers to the parents pushing them.

We decided to make a big deal of it, making up signs and cheering J as he took off, and again when he passed us. He pretended not to want the hooplah, then grinned from ear-to-ear as we made complete fools of ourselves. :)



When all was said and done, he finished fifth, in 8 minutes 5 seconds. And because I suck, this is the only picture I got of him during the race. (look behind the mailbox)

Cracking the Whip...in a little cuter & more efficient sort of way

another stolen idea from the blogosphere...


Years ago, we started out with a chore chart...one I printed on the computer. Recently, we tried the daily-list-on-a-post-it method. That was going just fine. But I came across this idea on someone's blog. And just had to give it a try. Each chore I have the children do is listed on a card, with step-by-step instructions. Each card is assigned a point value, and each child needs a certain amount of points each week in order to collect their full allowance. The children pick their jobs (of the ones I place in the upper pockets on any given day).

So far, I'm loving three things about this method:
1. It's cuter than the others :)
2. The kids get a voice in what their chores will be. They rarely complain now (so far, anyway...we've only been doing this a couple weeks.) But, seriously, I think it's ingenious to let them have a say in what they'll clean!
3. The cards make it so they can check to see if the job is actually complete. I have laminated them now, so they can be carried around while cleaning.

Father/Son Campout - Part 2 - The Picture Part

Because this is the state of affairs...

The spinach is coming in full force right now, so I've been using it every way I can. And then freezing some so that the yummy goodness can last all year-round. The other night, I tried this recipe. Never would have thought to put it all together myself, but I have to say we all really enjoyed it. So if you're looking for new ways to dish up your spinach, here you go:

1-lb ground beef
1-onion -chopped
1-garlic- chopped (i just took a scoop out of my jar of minced garlic i keep in the fridge door)
2-3 Tablespoons olive oil (or butter)
1 bag spinach (I used about half of the spinach from the colander pictured in the sink)-coarsely chopped
6 eggs- beaten (i only used 4 because our hens lay really huge ones for some reason)
4 oz cheese (I'm sure any kind will taste great; I had cheddar jack on hand so I used it)
Salt and Pepper to taste

Sautee the onion and garlic in the olive oil for a minute or two, then add the ground beef and cooked until no longer pink. Next add the spinach and sautee until wilted about 5 mins. Finally, pour in the eggs and cook until set (like scrambled eggs) about 5 mins, salt and pepper to taste, grate the cheese on top. It was fast, simple, and all in one pan which is always nice! I served it with toast and cantaloupe, but it would also be yummy served as breakfast burritos!

The Count

Years ago, when I took Micah to the pediatrician for his two-year check-up, he was diagnosed with expressive speech delay. Basically, he understood everything we said. But he followed his own timetable when it came to talking. And, while he can talk your ear off when given the rare opportunity (he's sandwiched between two very verbal siblings), his strongest gifts lie in other areas.

When he was four, I took him to be assessed for speech. I was trying to get him enrolled in the preschool speech program through the elementary school. He was given a very long and thorough assessment. During one portion, the evaluators went through a large book, filled with pictures. They would ask him to point things out, name them, or just answer questions about what he saw. He was very serious throughout the evaluation and did his best to respond correctly. At one point, he was shown a picture of six fruits. The tester asked how many was half. He answered, "Three." This was unexpected. They further prodded him to point out half of the fruits. He pointed to three of them (and looked at the ladies like they were ridiculous). The comment was made, "Well, I guess we know what his strength is!"

It wasn't the first time I noticed a love of numbers in this son. As we dropped Jonah off at kindergarten each day, Micah began to point out the bus numbers. He repeatedly asked me to name the numbers until, eventually, he could name them all by himself. He memorized the three or four bus numbers we routinely passed by and knew just when and where to expect them. He was three.

Now, this translates into a fascination with patterns and arithmetic. Towards the end of the school year, he was taught to tally. Recently, I have found him silently marking during rainstorms, or as he lies on the grass looking overhead, or while digging in the garden. Some people scribble their life's happenings in blogs or journals. My boy tallies. And I couldn't be happier that he has discovered his gift so early on!

Father/Son Campout

Every year, Clint and the boys go on an overnight camp-out with the other men/boys we go to church with. Gabe was once again left behind...maybe he'll be out of diapers next year! If dirt is any indicator of the good times enjoyed by my boys, I think they had a blast!!

In their absence, the girls set up a tent, too. Ours was conveniently located in the living room.

Gabe & Autumn enjoyed a couple movies tent-side, before G was whisked away to his crib.

That left time for me and my baby girl to snuggle and watch another show.

In the morning, we ate and bathed, then hurried off to a Pioneer monument dedication. The President of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of our Church, Boyd K. Packer, came to dedicate it. It was a nice ceremony.

Autumn captured how at least half of the meeting really went down for me, chasing G who thinks it is hilarious to bolt away (the giggling only increases when he heads for the street.)


(As a side note, we were sitting pretty close, and there were only 100 or 200 people there. Anyway, Sister Packer was sitting on the front row watching and I saw her look over at me and smile a couple of times. She has 10 children, so she must understand... that's what I perceived, anyway. I love being around seasoned, virtuous mothers. I can only hope their strength and goodness is just a little bit contagious!!)