5 Mile Hike

This morning we took the cub scouts on a 5 mile hike. It was actually more of a walk than a hike. The boys all had a good time though. They saw dead rats, gopher heads, and fun wildlife like that. We enjoyed spending the time as a family. Joshua was in the backpack while Mary and Sammy were in strollers. Sammy walked a lot of it, actually ran most of it, but Mary rode the entire time. She even fell asleep. We got back to the church so the boys could have something to eat and then receive their awards. Thomas was awarded his Wolf badge, Gold Arrow Point, 4 Silver Arrow points, 6 beltloops, and 2 pins. He had put all his new beltloops on his belt before we left the church. Now I have a lot of sewing to do to get everything on his uniform!

Scout Night with the Grizzlies

Tonight was Scout night with the Fresno Grizzlies, a minor league baseball team. Joel and Chuck took Thomas and Garrett to the game. The boys were able to be part of the pregame parade on the field which they thought was the coolest thing! They had a great time at the game. The section and row they were sitting at won free water bottles because one of the players hit a home run. The boys really thought that was cool. Then they enjoyed fireworks after the game. I am grateful Joel is willing to take Thomas and do some of these things with him. Spring stayed up late after the little ones were in bed and we had a game night with Rachel and Haylie. The girls enjoyed that as well. It was a very enjoyable evening.

8 Months Old and on the Move

Joshua turned 8 months old this week. He continues to bring such joy and light into our family. He constantly pulls himself up to a standing position and walks along furniture, people, and anything else he can manage. He crawls very fast now. If I turn my head for too long I lose him. An oft used phrase in our home now is, "Where did Joshie go?" This begins a quest by all to see who can find him first. I don't know who enjoys this more...the kids or Joshua. When someone finds him he just smiles and giggles as he is brought back to where we all are. He has 4 teeth with 2-3 more just days from coming in. Another of his favorite things is to get into the dishwasher whenever it is open. As we are doing dishes he makes a beeline to the dishwasher and pulls things out to suck off any food that is still on the dishes. We love this little guy!

Fresh Veggies

We have really been blessed with the growth of our small garden this year. We don't have a lot of space for a garden because the majority of our backyard is cement with a small patch of grass. We really were wanting to plant a garden this year, however, and we decided to use the little strip of dirt along the fence on the side of the house. The kids and I planted the veggies back in March while Joel was in Minnesota. We weren't sure how well they would do but we wanted to try. Thomas and Spring have really enjoyed watching them grow and have taken a great deal of responsibility in making sure they are watered each day. Wow...they are sure growing! We planted 12 tomato plants because I just love home grown fresh tomatoes and I hoped out of the 12 we may get a few. Well, all 12 plants have thrived so we will have plenty of tomatoes to share! We also planted 6 zucchini plants that are also doing quite well. Then, in some pots, we planted 4 green bell pepper plants and 4 red bell pepper plants. They, too, are thriving. We have already enjoyed some of the bell peppers. We are anxiously awaiting those tomatoes to ripen so we can enjoy them. We are hoping to be able to bring some of the fresh veggies to our reunion in WA in July! I am grateful for the blessing this garden is bringing our family. Not only will it provide us with fresh produce but it has provided our family an opportunity to work together and for the kids to see the benefits of working and taking care of something. Sometimes I think of the simple life of the pioneers, not easy, but simple. I think there are many things I would have enjoyed about that lifestyle. I don't think I would have had the strength to be a pioneer; however, I would have enjoyed some of the simplicity of life they enjoyed.

Memorial Day

Our day started early with Thomas and Joel heading out with Garrett and Chuck to put out flags. They had sold subscriptions to people as a fundraiser for scouts. They then put the flags out in the morning and pick them back up in the evening on 5 different holidays. Thomas and Garrett had a great time doing this. Sometimes I am still in awe when I see Thomas in his uniform doing these things. Can he really be as grown up as he is becoming? I am so grateful for the cub scout program for the values it instills in these young boys. It was a great way to talk to Thomas and Spring about Memorial Day because Spring asked what the holiday today was all about. We talked to them about how it is a day to remember and honor those that have sacrificed for our freedoms so we can live life the way we do each and every day.

This afternoon we went to our friends' home, the Haights. They invited some families over for lunch, swimming, and fun. We all had a great time. Thomas, Garrett, and Spring were in the pool for hours. Sammy and Mary went in a little but they played more than anything else. We really enjoyed the time with friends. All the dads were swimming too and many times it was hard to distinguish between the dads and the kids! We really are blessed to have some great friends here.

Camp Wilderness

On Friday afternoon we headed off to go on our first camping trip of the season. We were able to go up to where the Young Women in our ward go for Girl's camp in the summer. It is about 2 1/2 hours from home and at the last 20 miles took probably an hour due to the windy and horrible road. Poor Mary got really car sick and threw up all over herself. It was perfect timing; however, because right across the road from where we pulled off was a waterfall that we used to clean her and her carseat off in. It was cold for her but we were able to clean up the mess much easier than if we didn't have it!

It was fun to camp together with our neighbors and another family from our ward. There were 12 kids with the oldest being almost 10. It was so much fun to see them all playing and having fun together. Friday evening we set up camp and had dinner. Then we all enjoyed a big bonfire and roasted marshmallows for smores. The kids slowly went off to bed leaving the adults to visit. The setting was so beautiful and the stars were spectacular. That is one of the benefits of where we were...it was so far from everything and everyone that it was just beautiful. Conversation soon turned religious and we had a wonderful time discussing the many blessings of the restored gospel. It was great to share testimony with our neighbors...a very special evening.

The following morning we arose and had breakfast together. Then we got to work on the service portion of the campout. There were some more people that joined us that morning from about 5 different stakes. All in all there were about 100 people. We all helped do some clean up and maintance projects that needed to be completed to get the camp ready for the girls this summer. It was so rewarding to work together in such beautiful surroundings. The kids all worked hard and had a wonderful time laughing and talking as they worked. We worked for about 2-3 hours then we had the rest of the day to enjoy. We took all the kids on a hike/walk. The highlight for them was finding patches of snow. For a while it seemed every 100 feet they found a new patch of snow. They would all cry out, "SNOW!" and run to play in it. When it came time to go home we were all sad to leave. The kids especially did not want to go home. They were all so exhausted though and within 5 minutes of being in the car they were all fast asleep. We were so grateful to have this opportunity to spend time camping together and also to be able to serve and work together as a family. Thomas and Spring both commented to Joel and I on how good they felt inside when they were working. Thomas said to me, "Mom, it felt so good to work and help camping. I think that is the happiest I have felt in a long time." What joy fills my heart to hear our children express appreciation and joy for being able to give service to others.

Leave it to Sammy

I was sitting in our front room reading tonight waiting for Joel to get home from church meetings. All of the kids are asleep with the exception of Sammy. He has come out of his room a few times and I would take him back to his room. I hadn't heard from him for a while so I thought he was asleep. Then I heard him once again in his room. I got up to go and really "lay down the law" and try to figure out what to do with him. I was not too happy with him as I started walking to his room. I opened the door to find him dressed in his scout uniform with a tie on and Thomas' big boots. He looked up at me with his classic "Sammy Smile" and I just started to laugh. I couldn't help myself. He really can be challenging and exhausting sometimes but when he flashes that happy smile and his eyes are "smiling" just as big it really is difficult to stay mad for long. I told him we were going to get a picture and then he had to go to sleep. He agreed so we will see if he goes to sleep now! It is 9:30 pm...more than 2 hours past his bedtime! What can I say other than we sure love him!

Open House

Thomas with Mrs. Magpayo

The school held an open house tonight so family's could come and visit their children's classrooms and see all the great things they have done throughout the year. They have both been blessed to have wonderful teachers this year. Thomas and Spring have been so excited for us to come. We all went and we loved seeing their classrooms and visiting with their teachers. Thomas' teacher showed a cute slideshow of pictures throughout the year put to music. Joel and I both commented on how grown up Thomas has become. How is it that he is about to finish 2nd grade already? And Spring, how can she be done with kindergarten. It is that bittersweet again...they are growing and changing so quickly. I need these reminders to help me remember to really enjoy each and every little moment with them. I love our children and am so blessed to have them in our lives. I am excited to have them home this summer!

Spring with Mrs. Harris

A Birthday to Remember

Over the weekend as we entered the season of triple digit heat we realized that our AC unit wasn't working. Sunday afternoon we decided to go for a drive so we could at least utilize the AC of the van and escape the heat of our house. While on our drive the van began to overheat and then when we stopped coolant came spewing out. We came back home and Joel started looking into it and discovered a crack in the radiator. He spent the evening taking out the old radiator. So, yesterday was my birthday and we were having another HOT day. No AC and no vehicle to go somewhere! We survived though. After school we set up the pool so the kids could cool off. A repairman for the AC came and we need a new compressor. That is on order but it will take 3-4 days to get here and fix it. The bright spot of the day was that Joel was able to find a new radiator in Hanford. He picked it up after work yesterday and had the van all up and running shortly after 7:00 last night. I am so grateful that he is willing and capable of repairing our vehicles. It continues to bless our family.

Last night we opened all the windows of the house to try to get some cool air in for today. Around 2:00 this morning I had to close the windows because the smell from the cows was just too much to take anymore. The heat was better than the smell! Luckily when Joel left for work this morning around 4:00 we realized the cow smell was much less so I could open the windows for a few more hours before it got too hot! We survived another day today with water and a dark house. It is hot but we are grateful we had a car to get out of it a little today!

Summer Haircuts

The heat is here and it is time for the boys' annual summer haircuts! They love it when this time comes. Sammy has been so excited to show everyone his new look. He gets so excited that he can hardly get his words out. Thomas thought it was cool that all the boys are bald now...Joel thinks he should join in on the haircuts but I don't think so! We'll see who ends up winning that discussion!

Play Day

Thomas and Spring had "play day" at school to celebrate the end of STAR testing. I was able to volunteer to help during the event. It is always fun to see them in their element and interacting with friends at school. There were lots of different activities for the kids...sack races, golf putting, dancing, hula hoops, frisbee, cookie walks, races, and other fun outside activities. I didn't see Thomas a lot but he would run up to me and give me a hug and tell me what he was doing and then off he was with his friends again. I loved being able to spend the morning with them at school. I am grateful for our good friend, Amy, who willingly watched Sammy, Mary, and Joshua for me so I could go. I am excited for summer to be here and for our kids to be home again all day. I love it when they are home and school is out for a while.

FHE Picnic at the Park

Joel met us after work at the park that we were able to help build. The park is right by Joel's work so he just came over and joined us. The kids were all having fun playing and were very excited for Joel to meet us. I had told Sammy and Mary in the morning that we were going to have a picnic at the park that night. All day Sammy kept asking if it was time for the picnic. When Spring got home from school the first thing Sammy said was, "SPRING....US GOING TO THE PARK AND HAVE A PICNIC." Of course, with enthusiasm and excitement that only Sammy can muster! He did the same thing when Thomas came home from school. Spring had so much fun helping me get all the food ready for the picnic and the kids all helped me load it in the car and off we went.

We had a great time playing at the park and Sammy kept telling everyone that we were playing at the park that we built. We wanted to get a picture of all 5 kids on the slide so we had them slide down one at a time starting with Mary. Then we put Joshua in front of Mary. Just as I clicked the picture, Josh fell face first off the slide onto the ground. He is such a tough kid. Once Joel picked him up he stopped crying. So, the one picture is all we got and Spring had her head turned. Oh well, it is a good story!

We decided to go to a different park for our picnic; however, because this park still didn't have grass under the tables and the wind was picking up. So, we drove to another park and enjoyed our dinner and then played some more. At one point all 5 kids were on swings at the same time. That was a workout for Joel and I to keep them all going! We had a great time together. Then we came home and Thomas gave us a great lesson for FHE about the faith of the Brother of Jared. This was for a Faith in God requirement and he did a wonderful job. We enjoyed the evening together.

Mother's Day

I had a great Mother's Day. It started off early with the four older kids coming in our room very early singing out loudly, "Happy Mother's Day!" I opened my eyes to see all of them around me with a tray full of food for breakfast. Thomas and Spring got up early and made me breakfast all by themselves. They made a fried egg, tortillas full of sour cream and cheese, and a breakfast burrito with scrambled egg, sour cream, cheese, and casserole leftovers from the night before! Then I received all their wonderful cards and gifts they had made at school. I was very happy that they all wanted to sit on the bed and help me eat my "delicious" breakfast!

Church was really good too...I only had to leave Sacrament Meeting one time! That was the best Mother's Day gift of all! We have been working really hard with Sammy and Mary during the last few weeks...talking with them and helping them practice how to act in Sacrament Meeting. They really are good...it is just that Sammy, Mary, and Joshua all want to sit on someone's lap and my lap is the only one with Joel not being able to sit with us. Yesterday was so good! We were sure to praise them and really thank them for doing so well!

Joel did not have as many meetings as usual so he was home more yesterday also which was wonderful. I am so grateful for our children and for the gospel of Jesus Christ that helps teach us the importance of eternal families. I am grateful for the opportunity to be a mother to these wonderful spirits of our Father in Heaven. I am grateful for my mom and her wonderful example of love, compassion, and selfless service to her family, those around her, and the Church. I love being a mom!

Walking Field Trip

I was able to go with Spring's class on their walking field trip today. The kindergarten classes usually go to the zoo for their field trips but due to budget cuts all field trips for all grades were suspended. So, they went on a walking field trip to the local grocery store. They were taken on a behind the scenes tour of the store. They watched a cake be decorated. One of the other moms commented to Spring's teacher and I (while the kids were watching the cake be decorated), "I bet you a dollar one of these kids is going to stick their finger in the frosting of one of the many cakes sitting around on the racks by the kids." We were all laughing about that. Well, we started walking out of the bakery area and all the kids went by without a single finger in the cake when all of a sudden I heard the other mom and Mrs. Harris laughing behind me. I turned around to see Joshua (who was on my back) with a finger full of frosting. I was quite embarrassed and they said my face was bright red. Luckily the people working there thought it was funny and were really nice about it all. I don't know about him!

Then they went through the produce area, the meat department, the fridge area, and the freezer section. They all had a good time. Afterwards we walked to Burger King and the kids played in the play area for a while. Burger King treated all the kids to a free drink and Mrs. Harris brought cookies for them. Then we walked back to the school. I was glad I was able to spend the time with Spring.

Chubbers

The heat is beginning and we worry about Joshie's bald head while we are outside. He doesn't like to keep a hat on his head so yesterday I was working really hard with him to keep his hat on. I would try really hard to distract him whenever we put his hat on so he would forget about it. I kept it on him all afternoon and by the end of the day he was doing really well with keeping it on his head. Hopefully it will continue. Spring kept telling him how cute he was with his hat on so she asked if she could take some pictures. Then she wanted pictures of her with him. And, yes Alanna, he is only in a diaper. He was in clothes yesterday...before his nap...and then when he went to bed we put PJ's on him. It was hot and I didn't worry about getting him dressed after he made a mess at lunchtime! I'm getting more and more lazy with each kid! We just love his smile and the happiness he brings into our family. You may see his two top teeth! One has poked through and the other should be coming in anytime now!

Day Back Home

On Saturday we were fortunate enough to be able to go back to Manteca to have a BBQ with our neighbors. It was the most wonderful day. It was great to be with friends again and to visit and feel like "old times" again. They were all so kind in getting everything ready for us and we enjoyed our visit immensely. Thomas enjoyed playing with Chase again too. He talked about it a lot and I was shocked at how tall Chase had gotten. It was so fun to see Mary and Haley playing together too. It made me think how wonderful it would be if we were still there and they could play together everyday! Wendy took Thomas and Spring to the "S-H-O-P" so they could let the dogs play and they could visit as they walked. This is something she would do with them before we moved and it is something Thomas and Spring still talk about. It was so special that she would think to do that with them again. They continue to talk about their trip to the shop! It took Sammy a few moments to warm up and then he was himself. He loved playing with Jeff and giving loves to the others. It was really hard to leave that evening. We commented on how nice it would have been to just walk across the street and be home again! We are so blessed to have incredible friends. We miss them so much and they will always hold a very special place in our hearts. I am grateful for modern technology that allows us to stay in touch with relative ease. The kids are already planning our next trip that way!