July's Summer Fun

July's Summer fun started out with a impromptu trip for Fourth of July.  One of the items on our Summer bucket list was to visit the Bluebell Ice Cream Plant.  We have tired to go twice, but weren't able to get tickets.  It is a four hour drive and Grant didn't want to drive down there and back.  We decided to make it a weekend get-a-way and have some fun. 

The tour of the ice cream plant was a lot of fun.  The tour guide was awesome and was able to hold the kids' attention really well.  We were able to see how the ice cream is made and processed.  After the tour they give everyone a free ticket for some ice cream.  I thought the ice cream sample would be a small little taste, but they were big scoops of ice cream.  I also thought we would either get vanilla or chocolate, but instead we were able to choose from their 16 popular flavors as well as choose from a few of their new flavors.  After the tour of Blue Bell we got a hotel in Katy, Texas.  I picked a perfect location because the city of Katy shot off their fire works across the street from our hotel.  We were able to open the curtain and watch from our hotel room.  This worked perfect for us because Madeline does not like the loud noises from the fireworks.  This year she was able to get excited and enjoy them with the rest of us. 

Katy, Texas was just a stopping point for us.  The next day we were off and head to the San Jacinto Battlefield outside of Houston, Texas.  Anthony the huge history buff he is wants to see all the major historical points in Texas History.  The battle at San Jacinto was where Texas won its independence from Mexico.  They have a huge monument there (because in Texas everything is big), a little museum to look through, and video depicting the events leading up to the battle and after the battle.  After watching the movie I learned that it was a true miracle that we won, there was some divine intervention helping the Texas soldiers out. 

After walking around and exploring the battlefield we went across the street where they have Battleship Texas.  It was used during both World Wars.  We were surprised to learn that we could not only walk around the boat but explore it as well.  The kids had fun pretending to fire the anti-air craft, pretend to be sleeping on the bunk beads, and climbing up and down all the ladders.  We spent a good amount of time exploring and seeing how life was like aboard a battleship.  By the time we finished it was hot and we were hot and tired.  The kids were more than willing to get in the car for the four hour drive home.  On the way home we made sure we stopped in for a treat from Dairy Queen, it isn't a road trip unless you have a blizzard (or in Madeline's case, fries) from Dairy Queen. 

Unfourtnately Grant ate something that his body didn't like so he spent the rest of his Fourth of July holiday in bed.  Luckily it waited until we got home. 

On July 11 we went for our free slurpee, we have never done it before but glad that we did.  They uped the size too, instead of a small sip you actually got a decent size cup.  We have explore the Boy Scout Museum and ran through the tunnels and down the slides at Going Bonkers.  We also have enjoyed nice weather and a week long rain event.  For a week we enjoyed temperatures in the 70s that is a far cry from the 100s that we usually endure. 

We are making progress on our summer goals and I am working hard at getting ready for homeschooling third grade.  Madeline now has a school room and it has been fun setting up and getting things ready to start after Labor Day.  Seeing everything come together has helped Madeline get excited about the upcoming school year.  We still have more to accomplish before the summer is over, but we are slowing checking things off of our list.  The kids have been enjoying themselves and have not heard the "bored" word yet.  Here is to hoping the rest of our summer goes by slowly, I sure enjoy having the kids home.

Great Wolf Lodge

This year we are staying close to home for the Summer.  For the months of June and July we have planed staycation trips.  For June we decided Great Wolf Lodge would be our staycation destination.  The kids enjoy the waterpark and Grant and I enjoy not having to deal with the crowds.  Madeline hasn't been one to enjoy waterparks, but she wanted to have fun and do everything her brothers did and so she went for it.  It was so nice to see her courage and excitement come through.  We had fun riding the waves in the wave pool, going around the lazy river, riding the tornado and other slides, playing swim chase in the outdoor pools, and warming up in the hot tub.  We only spent one night there, but it is two days of waterpark fun.  The day we checked in we played until dinner and then after dinner we built a fort in our room, watched a movie and enjoyed snow cones.  Grant and I were able to sneak away to do a workout in the gym.  The next day after breakfast we packed up our room, loaded our stuff in the car and played in the water park for a few hours.  Because it isn't so crowded we were able to ride the slides over and over without spending lots of time in line.  We stayed until after lunch and then we were tired and ready for home.  It was a nice quick trip and it was nice to spend time as a family and celebrate Madeline's birthday.

Madeline Turns 9

Every year when we celebrate Madeline's birthday, we can't help but pause and see how far we have come.  This year Madeline's birthday fell on Sunday so she opted for a simple celebration at home.  Her diner of choice was Macaroni and Maters (a family recipe).  Lets just say that Madeline is the only one head over heals about this meal.  She eats this almost everyday for lunch and when calories are important Madeline can have what Madeline wants.  Madeline is not really a cake or dessert person, but she likes to paint and draw.  This year I had the kids decorate the cake.  Madeline wanted a lemonade and pick lemonade cake.  I never really worked with fondant before but figured with Google's help I could make something work.  I covered the cake with white fondant and then with Google's help we made edible cake paint.  The kids enjoyed painting and decorating Madeline's cake.  I gave them the left over fondant and they cut out shapes and added it to their masterpiece.  This cake was well decorated and a complete sugar heaven.  We sang Happy Birthday and all took a bite of the cake and that was about it.  That evening we played a game as a family and watched Madeline open her gifts.  Her main celebration was Great Wolf Lodge.  We combined her birthday with June's staycation activity.  Great Wolf Lodge deserves its own post.

Madeline is one of kind special girl.  She is a complete joy to have at home and her smile and laugh are contagious.  Madeline loves to draw and paint.  She loves to ride her bike, jump on the trampoline, and swim.  Madeline loves to build things with her Legos, play Cake Boss, and play games with her family.  Madeline loves her pink, her monkeys, butterflies, owls, and her DADDY.  Madeline loves to go camping, fishing, hiking (with Daddy carrying her), and she likes to help cook in the kitchen.  Madeline loves to learn and she is up for almost any adventure there is.  Madeline's health has turned a 360 and we have been able to discontinue two of her meds.  Doctor appointments are down to less than 10 a year and those are required twice a year visits to cardiology, pulmonology, orthopedic, and tummy doctors.  Madeline loves to give hugs, cards, and letters of appreciation, and she knows when it is needed.  Madeline has a heart of gold and is very compassionate.  She loves her brothers and is very sensitive to their needs.  When they are sick she won't leave their side.  She wants to take care of them and do whatever she can to help them feel better.  Madeline demonstrates her love and commitment to Heavenly Father and our Savior Jesus Christ.  Her faith is strong and she has a real knowledge and understanding that they are real.  Her prayers are sincere and heartfelt, and she communicates with them with the knowledge that they are real and they hear her.  Madeline is a gift to those around her and a huge blessing to our family.  It is a joy to be her mother and a joy to homeschool her.  You can feel of her love for you, for life, and for Heavenly Father and our Savior.  She loves to laugh and when she does you can't help but be reminded of what life is about.  Madeline runs on Madeline's time and there is no changing it.  We can learn a lot from her and the blessing it is to slow down and really enjoy the simple things in life.  Madeline does not let her physical limitations get in her way, if she wants to do something she will.  Her determination is an example to all to not give up and to not let things get in your way of accomplishing and doing what you desire.  As her mother I learn from her example, and hope to one day be filled with the faith, love, determination, courage, and joy she has.  Madeline truly loves life and lives each day to the fullest. 

Summer Fun

We started off our summer with National Doughnut Day.  I think it is safe to say this is a favorite among the kids.  They love to go to Krispie Kream and watch them make the doughnuts and then getting to pick out there favorite doughnut to enjoy.

We made a trip over to the CR Smith Museum.  It is an aviation museum and not a well populated museum which are what I like.  They do have a section for the kids with hands on exhibits.  They change out these exhibits every few months but the rest of the museum the exhibits stay the same.  This time they had a lego exhibit for the kids.  When we got there we were the only ones which is nice.  The kids had fun building and designing their own cars and then racing them down the track.  As usual we go explore the airplanes, check out the display of engines, and check out the interesting facts about the airplanes from the past to today.  I like the museum for the fact that it isn't well known meaning that you don't have to fight the crowds.  After our museum trip we decided to surprise Daddy and pick him up for work and go out for a treat, afterwards we dropped him back off to work and we headed home.  We thought Grant would enjoy a fun break in the middle of his day.

We made an impromptu road trip down to Johnson City, Texas.  There we visited Lyndon B. Johnson's boyhood home as well as toured the "Texas White House."  The Texas White House is Johnson's ranch home.  During his presidency he would spend lots of time there.  He was the first president to be able to conduct business outside of the White House.  They had the Air Force one that He used, his office, as well as their living quarters.  They also had Johnson's collection of cars as well as a display of all the gifts that he gave as well as received.  I found it amusing that they even had his and Lady Bird's close closet set up how they did.  We learned that they were able to have a successful marriage because they had two master bedrooms.  Lyndon was a work alcoholic and Lady Bird enjoyed her sleep and quiet time.  Instead of arguing they just built another master bedroom where she could go and escape.  This allowed him to work and carry on as much as he wanted, and Lady Bird was able to have all the peace and quiet she wanted.   We were also able to tour a real working farm from the late 1800s to early 1900s.  It is neat to go explore how life was like for those living during the past.  The kids enjoy exploring through the farm houses and seeing how they lived.  They really enjoy the hands on activities that they offer.  Anthony loves history and he enjoys visiting all the Texas Historical Sites in Texas.  Spencer doesn't really care for all the tours, but hopefully that will change.  Madeline likes the tours and I like that we are providing lots of learning opportunities for our kids. After the tours we went to the nearby Lyndon B. Johnson State Park where they had a swimming pool.  Now this was Spencer's favorite part of the trip.  It was pretty hot that day, so swimming felt nice.  The kids were able to burn off some energy before we made the trip home.  We left that day at 6:00 in the morning and returned home at 11:00 that night.  It was a fun trip, but we learned that when you have to drive more than four hours it can make for a really long day.

One of the things on our Summer Fun list is miniature golf.  They have a less than popular place to do miniature golf then Putt Putt.  This makes it nice because again we don't have to fight the crowds as much.  We got their unlimited package which included all the golf, bumper boats, and go carts we could handle.  The kids enjoyed the go carts until the invasion of the teenagers.  By that time it was late and they were tired.  Anthony was able to drive himself and Madeline and Spencer shared a car with Grant and I.  I wasn't sure how Madeline would handle it, but she had a blast.  Our favorite activity was the bumper boats.  By the end of our ride we were all soaked.  Spencer was able to drive his own boat and Madeline shared with me.  Madeline was able to escape the onslaught of water.  I guess there are benefits to being short.  For the most part the water would go right over her.  It didn't take Spencer long to get the hang of how to drive the boats, and the water gun was definitely his best friend.  We played a couple of rounds of golf, first time through we did it regular style and the second time through we did it bowling style.  While the boys did a round of laser tag, Madeline and I did a round of golf. 

Next up is Madeline's Birthday and July Summer's Fun. 

End of School

I know that it is June and the kids have been out of school for a month, but we have been in full swing into our summer fun.  On May 31, Anthony graduated fifth grade and Spencer graduated Kindergarten.  Madeline finished up school at the end of April.  On the last day the school has a tradition of having the fifth graders walk the halls for the last time.  All the parents, grandparents, etc come and line the halls along with all the other students and teachers.  The fifth graders start at the fifth grade hall and work the way through the school and out the door to sixth grade.  While they walk the crowds cheer, students high five the fifth graders, and former teachers steal one more hug from the graduating fifth graders.  For some it is an emotional day and for others like me it is another proud moment to add to my collection.  Grant and I were surprised to see how emotional Anthony was.  The last day of school was not a joyous occasion like in years past.  Anthony is very private with his emotions and feelings, but on that day he couldn't hold back the tears.  Anthony had a really good fifth grade teacher who he adored, he was lucky to have the same teacher for third grade as well.  In the end I think Anthony is excited to move on to sixth grade and join the ranks of middle school, but change is hard and leaving a place of comfort for something unknown is difficult.  However, I know that he is prepared and he will once again find comfort (as much as your can) in middle school.

Spencer on the other hand was all excited to finally be first grader.  They talk a lot about being a first grader in Kindergarten and getting the kids all excited about all the cool things that await them.  So on May 31st Spencer was excited to finally be able to call himself a first grader.  Now as for me I was excited to finally be able to sleep in and to give the alarm clock a break.  I like how the days slow down a bit and we can fill our days with fun activities instead of homework.

A couple of days before school got out they had their end of the year parties.  Anthony's and Spencer's party was at the same time and so Grant took sometime off from work to be able to attend their parties.  The parties lasted for two hours so for the first hour Grant would attend one and then we would switch.  Spencer's party was set up like a carnival with various games and activities for the kids to do.  Anthony's party had a kerokee machine, a photo booth, cake walk, for square and tossing the football around.  For the most part the partying was very fitting for his age group, but Anthony found the activities to be a bit boring.  Since I was there we ditched his party and went over to Spencer's party and he played games with Spencer and Madeline.  So in the end we all played together at Spencer's party.

Now with school behind us it is time to have fun and enjoy the summer!

May and June Happenings

1.  After Grant and I coming home from one of our dates we were greeted with some friends enjoying some cupcakes and treats.  I love to see Madeline's imagination and play come out!

2.  On Saturday, May 25th, we had the opportunity as a family to volunteer and help out with Special Olympics.  We were in charge of handing out some of the awards to the contestants as they finished their meets.  Anthony was able to use the microphone to call out the contestants and what award they got.  He did an amazing job!  Spencer and Madeline would take turns putting the ribbons around the contestants necks.  After about three hours of working Spencer decided he was done, but his timing could use some improvement.  While he was handing out awards, he decided he was done and simply walked off without finishing the rest of the ribbons.  Luckily we were there to assist him and we were able to pick up where he left off.  After that we decided that it was time to hand over our assignments to the others that were in the group and leave before Spencer really let everyone know that he was done.  It was such a neat experience for our family and we are looking forward to working some more with Special Olympics.  The best was being able to work together as a family helping and serving others.  It was neat to see our kids excitement and to hear them cheer on the different contestants.  Our kids were truly excited for those who were participating and that is rewarding to see as a mother.

3.  This year I didn't plan much for Father's Day, I decided to let the kids do the planning.  A few days before Father's Day I took the kids out and let them pick their gifts out.  Before we left I mentioned some things that Daddy has said he wanted and luckily they were all on board.  We also decided to make Daddy and new number one Daddy hat and his current one was getting dirty and smelly.  At the same time we made some hats for Grant's parents for their birthday.  It was fun to watch the kids decorate and learn the fine art of handling the paint.  It is safe to say their were a few blobs, but overall they did a great job.  The last time we did this Spencer was a little baby and so I painted for him, so I wasn't sure how things would go with him painting on the hats.  Spencer did awesome and was so proud of his dots that he littered the hats with.  On Father's Day I made Grant some bbq ribs, homemade cheesy rice, and I am sure other goodness.  Then the rest of the day was spent playing games, going for walks, and enjoying another epic nerf gun battle.  I don't think I could plan a better myself, the kids did a really good job.

4.  In the evenings when we gather for family scripture study the kids have a tendency to crowd around the I-pad leaving Grant alone on the couch with the big family Book of Mormon opened.  The kids are not interested in reading from a book, an I-pad seems to be more interesting.  I guess it has to do something with touch screens and lights that draw the kids over to my side.  However, Grant's book does have colorful pictures but I guess they are no match for the I-pad.

5.  For the summer I made a summer reading bingo game for the kids to play.  I did this to make reading time a little more fun and exciting for them.  So far we have read a book in the treehouse, under a tree, in a fort, with a snack, on a picnic blanket, at the library, under the kitchen table, and with a hat on.  We play the reading bingo game a couple of times a week and they enjoy looking at their boards and picking a new and different place to read their books.

6.  The first weekend of June Grant and Anthony went over to the public library for a Star Wars day.  They had different activities and crafts set up which didn't interest Anthony.  Anthony did enjoy taking his picture with the storm troopers and watching his favorite episode (6) on the big screen at the library.

Bathroom-Mission Complete

In December of 2012 we began demo ling our master bathroom.  It was in a major need of repair.  Things were growing that shouldn't be growing, water leaking where water shouldn't be leaking, and most of all having the door in the way of the toilet.  We were limited in what we could do as far as redesigning, we were not in the mood to change out the main plumbing in the bathroom.  By moving the door down and turning the sink to be next to the toilet to be more functional.  I don't have any before pictures, but that is okay because the bathroom was bad.

Now I am writing this in June and that isn't because it has taken this long for me to get around to writing, instead it has taken this long to finish.  When you take something down to the studs you are bound to in counter obstacles.  Grant added some outlets, re did the electrical, rearranged the plumbing, built a half wall between the shower and toilet, and added a light in the shower area.  Then there was putting up Sheetrock, the mudding, the sanding, then mudding again, the texturing, and the paint.  After all that came the tile and there was a lot and a lot of little customize cutting.  Our bathroom is small making it difficult for two people to work without getting in each others way.   Most of the tile in the bathroom was laid by Anthony.  Grant was able to show Anthony how to lay tile and so Grant would cut and Anthony would put it up.  It is neat to look back and see all of Anthony's work.  I know that Anthony is proud of himself and I know every time Grant goes in the shower he is reminded of the time he and Anthony spent together.  So Anthony now knows how to lay tile and skill that comes in handy.

After six months of work and six months of having one bathroom and with us all sharing one shower we are happy to have our bathroom back.  We didn't put a door in because the bathroom is close to the entrance of our room and so we use our bedroom door for privacy.  In the beginning we decided to skip the door to save time, but I don't think it would have save us much time.  Grant and I love our bathroom and we love the fact more that it is done and Grant is really happy not to be cutting tile; that is for a little while.  We still need to tile the hallway in our bedroom and then there is the kitchen that still needs to be done, but that is for another day.  Right now we will enjoy the fact that another major remodel is checked off the list.