Eleven Years Already

Spring hit the milestone of 11 years last week.  She was offered a babysitting job the afternoon/evening of her birthday and opted for that instead of celebrating her birthday.  We were able to postpone her celebration until the following day.  She chose to have Mexican food for dinner (tostadas, burritos, rice) and cheesecake brownies for dessert.  She was super excited for her joint birthday present from the family and Grandma & Grandpa Powell of horseback riding lessons.  She can't wait to go and wants to be sure one of her lessons is in September when Grandma is here visiting.

Spring is quite the girl and such a help to our family.  Some recent highlights in her life include:

*She is the highly sought after babysitter of the ward.

*She loves animals...especially horses.

*She is an avid reader...currently reading the "Work and the Glory" series for the 3rd time.  This has become her summer tradition.

*She loves to color-coordinate her shirts, earings, socks, and headbands.

*She is an amazing swimmer, yet she prefers diving (which she is really good at as well).

*She still loves to talk and is quite good at it as well! :)

*She is often found volunteering to serve others and help in any way she can.

*She enjoys staying up late in the summer...and sleeping in in the morning.

*She sets high standards for herself and expects herself to live up to them with perfection.  She is learning the value of forgiving herself and giving herself a little slack.

*She is excited to go back to school!

*She is a huge help around the house, often doing things without being asked. She has a great ability to see what needs to be done and then she just does it.

We love this daughter of ours...silliness, craziness, spunk, and example.  She knows what she wants in life and she will let you know as well.  So grateful for her determination to live the gospel with all her heart and continue to develop her love and testimony of the Savior.  Hard to believe that next summer she will be going to Girl's Camp and entering Young Women's.  I'm excited for those times for her, yet not so excited for time to rush by us. 

Sammy's 1st Day Camp

 Sammy has been anxiously awaiting day camp for years.  Over the past month he woke up each morning telling me about his day camp dreams he had through the night.  Day Camp did not disappoint.  He loved every minute of it, all 3 days. He survived the heat and humidity much better than I did but I loved being with him and seeing his excitement and pure joy at all he was able to do and experience.  We attended Camp Butler which has incredible facilities.  During Day Camp he was able to:

*Shoot BB Guns...super excited when he got his first bullseye

*Do Archery

*Paddle Canoes...he was excellent at this and really learned quickly

*Go down a huge inflatable waterside

*Cool off and goof off in the swimming pool...he was especially proficient at the goofing off part

*Make rockets

*Make and launch bottle rockets

*Go inside an inflatable planetarium to learn about the constellations

*Sing a song at campfire

Sammy is in his element at day camp.  He is the goofy kid that makes everyone else have a great time and loves every minute of what he is doing.  Kids flock to be around him and he can get the others to be goofy and participate.  I love his enthusiasm and his ability to just have fun no matter what he is doing.  So grateful I could have the opportunity to spend the days with him.

I am also grateful to wonderful children at home that made it possible for me to go.  Thomas and Spring held down the fort during day camp.  They did all the laundry on Thursday because "Thursday is laundry day" and had dinner ready when we got home.  They took the kids on bike rides and picnic lunches to help pass the day for them.  I could not have done this without their help and willingness to make it relaxing for me when I got home each night.  I am so blessed.

Summertime Fun

One of our favorite things to do together in the summer is build campfires in the backyard.  I don't think there is a day that goes by when the kids don't ask for this.  OF course, they think campfires are synonymous with smores and roasting starbursts!  Sammy's favorite way to make smores is with peanut butter cups instead of hershey chocolate.  Sammy and Spring have learned to build a great fire and last Monday Joel taught Mary how to build a fire.  We love spending time outside together.  Another family favorite is making homemade ice cream in the summer.  We caught Sara snitching the peanut butter cups after we cut them up.

Scout Camp

Thomas and Joel were off to another week of Scout Camp last week.  They again attended Muskingum Valley Scout Reservation and the theme this year was, "Kickin' it Old School."  Thomas is always so excited about scout camp and he told me after camp this year, "It just keeps getting better every year."  

This was the first time I was not worried about him doing the swim test at camp.  In fact, I didn't even think about it this year.  Joel said after Thomas completed the swim test he climbed out of the pool, puffed up his chest a bit, gave Joel a "high five" and said, "That was a cinch, Dad!"  WOW!  What a difference a year can make.  I am grateful for the opportunities scouting has given him to overcome a fear and weakness in his life and really become a strength to him.  

This year he took the Canoeing merit badge and loved every bit of it.  Joel said he was amazed as he watched him do all the requirements of the badge with such ease and confidence. The Lake Director commented to Joel that Thomas is "a natural in the water and with these skills."  Joel responded, "Would you believe that young man failed the swimmer test last year the first time and finally passed it?  Then he decided to take the swimming merit badge and struggled through much of it but was able to work through it and complete the badge?"  The Lake Director was shocked.  There was another scout working with him and Joel said Thomas was encouraging him along the way and helping this other young man be able to complete the badge as well.  What a young man did for him in the swimming merit badge last year, Thomas was able to pay forward to another young man this year.  How amazing the scouting program is in the lives of young men.

Thomas had a hard time deciding which merit badges to do at camp this year because there were so many he wanted to complete.  He even did one on his own during his free time.  He began and completed 9 merit badges:

     Canoeing, Wilderness Survival, Indian Lore, Basketry, Pottery, Sculpture, Metalwork, Geology, and Soil/Water Conservation

He was also the only young man in our unit to complete the tasks and responsibilities to earn the "Duty to God" award and patch at camp this year.

I am grateful for the scouting program and for the legacy of scouting Thomas benefits from.  He has been surrounded by wonderful examples and people that love the program since he was little including his parents, his grandparents, and uncles.  He is continuing that legacy for his younger brothers.  How blessed we are.

While He Was Supposedly Sleeping

As Joel and I headed to bed last night we discovered artwork on the carpet in the hallway upstairs.  Upon further investigation we found the artist who also used his body for a canvas.  The harder part was finding his medium.  We finally found the markers hidden under his bed.  We have to frisk this kid before bed for any kind of marking instrument and yet he still seems to find them.  This morning we discovered he had wandered the house and used the carpet in the family room for another "masterpiece."  

This morning I asked if he was the one to do the drawings and he admitted to it...not like he could hide the evidence all over his body.  I then handed him a washcloth and some resolve and let him know he could have breakfast after the carpets had been scrubbed and he had taken a bath so scrub his legs and hands.  He was disappointed when he realized it didn't come off very easily.  He finally finished with just barely enough time to put on his swimsuit and eat a granola bar in the car on the way to swimming lessons.  He has drawn on walls, carpets, beds, blankets, windows, etc more than any of our children combined.  Not sure what we will do with this kid!  Grateful it was washable markers and not sharpies! 

Milestone Pictures

Mary...7 Years Old and Sara...18 months old