Our front yard in June....

Last day of school and other crazy things...

Abigail was so excited for her last day of school!    In fact she came up that morning wearing this wig and a pair of yellow gloves.    Why???     Well, because it's the last day of school!    What better reason to dress up than that?

She begged me to let her actually wear this to school, to which I flat out said NO.    It was the last day of school- NOT Halloween, for goodness sake.    

However, at the end of the day as I was cleaning out Abby's backpack for good, I found the gloves and wig stashed at the bottom underneath her books.

She wouldn't have snuck this "get up" into her bag and dressed up at school would she?     (I think I know the answer to that)  

Sigh.    I suppose I should at least be glad it was a wig and gloves, rather then a tube of lipstick and a miniskirt.    It could be worse right?

Our family was asked if we'd be willing to distribute brochures (for the local community theatre) around the neighborhood.    We always like doing this as it gives the kids an activity for a few days and they earn some movie passes in the process.     I don't know why Sam and Jess insisted on wearing GOGGLES while they worked, but seeing as their sister wears wigs and gloves on the last day of school, I probably should just chalk it up to some genetic predisposition they all share.  It's beginning to feel as though the older the kids get, the crazier they seem!  Or is it just me? 

 Jessica and Sam finished soccer this weekend with a tournament on Saturday morning.   It was fun to watch them play on the new soccer field in town, even if it was a little windy.     I've not watched them play this year as often as I should have as John was usually the one to take them each week.   Jessica was timid, yet happily obedient.    Sam?   Well, at some point this year Sam turned into a soccer maniac!    I wouldn't go so far as to call him a "ball hog" or anything like that.   (but that's only because I'm his mother.)      It made me proud to watch him score several goals, and I could tell that Sam was proud as well as he ran down the field with his arms high above his head cheering for himself the whole way.  I wasn't however so proud when I watched him shove his own teammates in an effort to steal the ball from them!     

                                             I don't know, perhaps the whole concept of "teamwork" is too advanced for his age?     

Or maybe his parents have just never taught him how to share;)

Sam redeemed himself later in the day though when we went for an evening walk out at St. Mary's.   Without any prompting from us,  he took it upon himself to pick up ALL the garbage that he saw.    He kept asking questions like, "What will happen to the earth if everybody litters?"   and "What if nobody cared about the world anymore?"    I thought it was cute that he felt inclined to clean up someone else's mess as nothing annoys me more then a litter bug!   It's nice to see that Sam has a kind soul underneath that tough ball stealing exterior of his.      

We had a great time out at the Dam and saw lots of cool things.     We found a foxes den and watched two very shy kit foxes for a bit, then an osprey flew over us with a huge fish clasped in it's talons, and John fished while half a dozen pelicans circled the sky above him.    The kids and I accidentally crashed a party of sorts as we (without knowing it) joined a gathering of tough looking outdoorsmen who were attending the annual Walleye Trail Convention.    

Never a dull moment at St. Mary's, that's for sure!


John has just two days of school left before he is done for the summer, and he's already begun the first of many fences that he is building this month.     Between his fencing jobs and Helaman's Encampment, we are anticipating a lot of days and evenings without Dad around.   I'm seriously questioning whether or not I'll be able to stay sane through it all.    One can only be surrounded by craziness for so long before succumbing to it right?     Wish me luck!

Happy Sunday!!!

Kids Marathon

The kids have participated in a local "marathon" and yesterday was the big wrap up final mile run.     Since May they've been logging their miles in efforts to run the amount equivalence of a marathon.   Luckily they've had soccer, baseball and Sunday afternoon walks out at St.Mary's to help them in their efforts.   It was a pretty big deal when we got to the elementary school yesterday and saw how many other participants were ready to run that last mile.  What a group!!   I heard that almost 2000 people were running!     

The kids started at the Elementary School, ran down past the temple and then along main street before crossing the finish line at the Remington Carriage Museum.    There they received their awesome medals and a healthy lunch from Subway!   John and I were so amazed with all the sponsors that contributed to this.    The kids sure got rewarded for their efforts!  


It was definitely a party after and it seemed like the whole town was there.  Heck it was so cool even Raymond came!   There was live music, eating, prizes, water fights and even a flash mob!

 Oh yeah and those two people in the upper corner?   That's Patricia and Duane-the creators of the event.    Three years ago Patricia thought up this idea to start a marathon for kids, and asked me if I wanted to help her with it.    I think I perhaps made some phone calls here and there for her but I never really got on board and contributed much.   Clearly I didn't catch the vision of how great it would one day be.  It's kind of inspiring to see what one person can do when they get a good idea an go with it.   Actually-it's really inspiring,  and it had me wondering what sort of amazing things we all could do if we just stopped waiting.    

I know-that's such a deep thought eh?

Oh and I love these pictures of Nate and John.   

 

They're both pretty cute eh!

One more day till School's out!  

Best Father's Day Gift Ever!

A few weeks ago, Tanis and I took the family out to the annual Cardston Fly-In out at the Cardston Municipal Airport.  I had heard about the event and was curious what it was like, so we ventured out to investigate.  We were not disappointed.  Even though there were only about 4 or 5 pilots who had flown in their aircraft that morning, we got to watch three take-offs and an landing before leaving the airport.  All these aircraft were single engine planes with seating ranging from two to five.  Tanis cleverly approached a few of the pilots looking to set up a surprise Father's Day gift of a flight in a small plane.  One of the pilots was Shannon, student from CHS who had recently completed her pilot's license with the help of her father, Mr. Stewart Pollock, a retired captain for American Airlines and former member of the Canadian Air Force.

When the wet, rainy weather broke last weekend, Tanis got a call from the Pollocks to let her know they were flying their plane that afternoon.  She got me to go on a Sunday drive with her and some of the kids, and I knew something was up when we started driving towards the airport.  I was very surprised and excited to have a chance to fly in a small plane above Cardston, as that is something I have never done before.  I think the only other time I've flown in a small plane is with Aaron and Gina's dad, Hal, from Provo to Afton Wyoming.  Anyway, it was a perfect, sunny evening!  We flew out over Cardston and then north around the St. Mary's Reservoir and back.  Despite my expected tendency to get motion sickness (must be a Hardy gene), I thoroughly enjoyed the entire flight.  Below are some of the pictures I snapped while enroute.  It was fun to see Cardston from this perspective (if you're really good, you can see where our house is, as well as Jordan's old house, etc.)  I'll just add that at our altitude, about 1500ft above the ground, most bodies of water  at various angles of view appeared white or silver due to the reflection of the sunlight.  You can see the photos I took below.  One is of the backwaters at St. Mary's lake where Dad used to take us fishing for pike and walleye.  Tanis and I have taken our kids there a few times, and perhaps I'm drawn there by the great memories of family trips to the lake back when I was young.  Overall, it was a very thoughtful Father's Day gift, one I'll always remember, that's for sure!  If I can just figure out how to beat motion sickness, then perhaps I'll be flying myself above Cardston someday... or not!

Happy Father's Day to all the Fathers out there!

Five words that describe John

Because I know how much John enjoys public expressions of love and admiration, I thought I'd take a moment and share a little bit about John that I love most.    

He is Sturdy. 

I remember taking this picture of John just before we left Crypt Lake last year.    He cracked that whip of his and sent the loudest crack echoing through the mountains.    Now when I look at this photo I see a strong and sturdy man standing against the backdrop of an equally formidable mountain.    When I say John is sturdy, I mean he is strong and immovable when it comes to what he believes in.     He never doubts.   Never fears.  

"The strength of a man isn't seen in the width of his shoulders

It's seen in the width of his arms that circle you.

The strength of a man isn't in the deep tone of his voice,

It's in the gentle words he whispers.

The strength of a man isn't in the weight he can lift,

It's in the burdens he carries."

2. He's Influential:

"Father didn't tell me how to live; he lived, and let me watch him do it. "

-author unknown

Clearly our kids want to be just like him! (And let's be honest, it's probably better that they try to be like him than me.)










3.  This man is Talented!  

I sometimes envy the way John can do anything and everything.  Not only that, but he does it all so well!    He can play the piano, the guitar, and will turn anything into a set of drums if given the chance.   He's athletic, he can sing,  and he's great with people.   One of his greatest talents I think is his ability to retain information in that steel-trap mind of his.

I like the way he encourages our kids to develop their talents as well.  

 "My father gave me the greatest gift anyone could give another person - he believed in me. "       

4.  He always Gives 100% of himself
Sometimes us women get in the habit of talking about our husbands and complaining about all that they do not do for us.    Usually after a conversation like this I walk away feeling so much gratitude for the partner John is in this parenting journey.    He folds laundry (so long as there is something to watch while doing it),    changes diapers as often as I do, and he's more often then not the one who gets up in the middle of the night to take care of Nathan.     People sometimes say that a successful marriage occurs  when each person meets halfway and shares the load.   50/50 right?

Well,  John is definitely more of a "give a hundred percent of himself" kind of guy and I love him for it.




5. This man takes Play time seriously!

A truly rich man is one whose children run into his arms when his hands are empty.  ~Author Unknown

Nothing is more important to John than "play time" with the kids!     As soon as he get's home from work, he is greeted by 4 little kids all eager to be lifted into his arms and tossed around for a bit.     It really is a happy time when daddy walks in the door!     I love how he is the first one to suggest a drive to the lake, or an evening out fishing.     Without fail, every night before bed, you'll likely find John running through the house pulling a large blanket with 4 giggly kids on top clinging for dear life!      I don't know why he always chooses bed time to play, but the kids love it, and secretly I do too!

We are lucky to have this wonderful man in our lives and I am so grateful for all he does for us! 

  Happy Father's Day John!   

All about my Dad

With Father's Day coming up, I've been spending a lot of time thinking about my Dad.    He was a pretty fabulous Dad, though you probably would not have caught me saying that 15 years ago.    What is it about teenagers that makes it hard for them to see how awesome their parents are anyways?   Forget that.    What is it about people in general that makes it so hard for us to appreciate those in our lives that matter the most?    Four years after my Dad's passing, I still feel the strongest pangs of guilt that I did not tell him often enough how much I loved and appreciated who he was.   

*  My Dad was an outdoorsy kinda guy.   He loved fishing, hiking, camping, and cooking over a fire.     We spent a lot of time as kids playing in the foothills east of town while my Dad sat nearby and watched with a good book and a big gulp by his side.     That's when he most relaxed.   

(This picture was taken in Waterton shortly after my Dad and Mom were married. Clearly he is cool.)      

*   He had some pretty crazy jobs in his time.    For awhile before I was born, he served in the Calgary police force in the city.  He even spent FIVE years riding undercover with a notorious and large motorcycle gang.     In another instance when he was not undercover, he was shot, which led him to eventually leave the force and became a private investigator.     He had some pretty good stories, and I never was sure whether or not I could believe him.    I'm pretty sure that they are all true.

*   He acted tough, but deep down he was an absolute pushover.   I mean how else could 4 kids have been allowed to own an iguana, a hamster, a dog and several cats all at the same time?    He wasn't really ever wealthy, but when he could spoil us, he would!

* To prove how spoiled some of us were, he would pre-sign letters to the school excusing us from class, and we could use those "get out of class" notes  at our own leisure (on the condition that we keep our grades up of course).  And let's be honest- this mostly only applied to my brother;)

*   One time my younger sister Crystal was being picked on during recess.   One boy actually grabbed a clump of dirt and shoved it in her mouth.    My Dad happened to be driving by in his "cop car" at that very moment.   He instantly flashed his lights and turned on the siren for a second.   Then he got out of the car, came around the fence into the school yard, picked that boy up by his collar and warned him to "never come near his daughter again, or else!"    Sure it was a little over the top, but we always felt safe knowing that Dad was nearby.

*  Growing up I sometimes thought that he was a little, you know, "rough around the edges."   For example, every fast Sunday he would take us out of primary so that we could go eat out at the local Chinese Restaurant on the edge of town then called Cedar Gardens.     I never really knew how to explain that to my friends, but I tell ya, I still can't eat an egg roll without thinking of all those delicious fast Sundays spent skipping class.   

* He once grew his gray hair out long and slicked it back into a pony tail.   It embarrassed us to no end and that thrilled him!    

* I remember each and every single hour he spent trying to teach me how to drive a car.    He was the worst.teacher.ever.   (or so I thought;)   I remember one time he had yelled at me for not stopping quick enough and I just turned to him and yelled right back.   How sassy, right?    He looked at me, stunned, and then got out of the car and walked home, leaving me sheepishly sitting in a car I couldn't drive.     One of my worst memories ever, and I hope my kids don't ever learn to treat me the way I treated him that day.   

*   He always said that as soon as we all left home and got married, he was going to get a motorcycle and ride off into the sunset.   He promised us that the only time we'd ever see him was when he came to visit the grandkids and "teach them how to swear."    

For the record- he never did ride off far away, but he did visit his grandkids often.    He would call them daily just to hear them say his name, or to hear about the crazy things they were doing.    And he never did teach them how to swear either;)    He was the best Grandpa EVER!

This Father's Day I will be remembering all of the crazy, sometimes maddening, occasionally against the grain, but now lovable things that made my Dad the awesome person he was.   And is!    

My Dad was one in a million, that's for sure!

Good bye Kindergarten. Hello Summer?

 This was a big week for Sam as it was his final week of Kindergarten!!!    I have to say I shamefully avoided going into the school to pick him up on his last day because I knew I would probably cry.    His teacher was the best teacher EVER and definitely the right match for Sam.   You know how some teachers just look past what your child does and sees who they are?      That's what this teacher did for Sam.    I had a lot of anxieties at the beginning of the school year about that boy and how he would possibly sit still long enough for anybody to teach him.    He was a busy boy!    However,  no matter how many times Sam acted like a "monkey" in class (clearly my fault for sending a banana in his lunch;)   she still patiently focused on his strengths.      More importantly, she helped me to see his strengths for what they were as well.   It didn't take long before I no longer felt the need to micro manage or lecture him on how to sit still or behave while at school.   I accepted the fact that Sam would be Sam because I knew his teacher accepted and LOVED him for who he was.    And the weird thing is that as soon as I stopped trying to tame this little boy- I began to see how GREAT he really is just the way he is!    This ended up being a much better school year for Sam then I anticipated and I'm so proud of him!

To celebrate his last day, I let him buy a new Bakugon toy while we were grocery shopping and then we enjoyed our first picnic of the summer.     Here's hoping we enjoy many more beautiful picnics this year.    (Preferably spent in Waterton:)

Our garden is coming along nicely.    It still makes me sad sometimes to think of the ridiculously huge garden that we enjoyed at our old house, but this little one suits us fine.    I am determined to grow tomatoes this year, and thankfully John built this fabulous cold frame for them to live in so they just may have a chance.     No guarantees of course that they will thrive with me in charge - but so far they are looking pretty happy!    We just need some SUN!!!   

My Brother Chad came down this weekend and brought us some Haskep Berry plants that we've lined our north fence with.    I think they are a great addition to our yard and I'm excited for the berries that we'll one day get to eat!!

The kids are finishing up with soccer and baseball in the next week or two and Abby would happily report to you that she has just TEN DAYS left of school!    John comes home each day and tells me how tired and drained his students seem to be and I think the whole town is ready for summer holidays to begin.   The countdown has officially begun!

We are headed out to St. Mary's in a few minutes for another one of our Sunday afternoon drives.    St. Mary's is quickly becoming a favorite place for our family as it's got everything you need.    A playground to play on, lots of rocks to throw and skip, and fossils to search for.   John always has to check and see how fast the water is flowing at the spillway,  and Sam always manages to steal my camera to get "wildlife" shots of gohpers.    (I think he's looked at one to many national geographic magazines- he takes his "work" far too seriously!)     Inevitably the kids will climb back into the van with a bucket full of things only they would call "treasures."    I'll be forced to store these treasures (think marmot skull and rocks) in the garage along with the precious loot they gathered last week.   

 And the week before that;)

  There's nothing better then a beautiful Sunday Afternoon!!

It's because they are AWESOME!

 Ever feel as though your kids hear absolutely NOTHING that you say?    Sometimes I literally feel as though I must be talking to myself most of the time.  

I mean really!  I could say:   "Kids-stay out of the fridge, its almost time for supper."

And five seconds later.......

More then once I've heard myself say: "You guys!  Seriously- quit playing with the eggs!   No more doing experiments with our food!  

And three seconds later...........

Or every night I say:   "Okay kids- this is the night that you all stay in your OWN beds, got it?    No crawling into our bed!"

Despite that though, with out fail, every morning I wake up to this.........

   

I'm beginning to wonder why I even bother saying anything at all? It's not like I'm ever actually heard.

I recently saw this picture though and it gave me a whole new perspective, not to mention an answer to my question. 

Oh, I get it!

My kids aren't deliberately TRYING to disobey.  
 They are just too AWESOME to hear me in the first place!!! 


I feel so much better.


Some of my kids' most recent Awesomeness:

Abby continues to try at baseball, and even though this is clearly her first year attempting it - she never gets discouraged.   I watched on Monday as it took 13 swings of the bat before she actually hit the ball.   But the moment she did tap that ball- she sailed to first base with her arms high above her head as if she'd just hit a home run.     She is her biggest fan that girl!   And that's Awesome!

Sam has just a few more weeks of school and he has LOVED kindergarten this year, especially his teacher.     Apparently there is a high school student who is helping in Sam's classroom this semester and she told John last week that Sam is ALWAYS HAPPY and that he is the most cheerful little boy she's ever seen.     Awesome!

Jessica has taken our bedtime routine to a whole new level.    Each night after going potty and brushing teeth the kids gather in Jessica and Sam's room for bedtime prayers.   Lately though, Jessica has taken to going somewhere private to "practice" her prayer before joining us to say it for real.    I mean, who rehearses their bedtime prayer?      Awesome!

Nate.   What can I say about Nate?  He's taken to pulling hair,  finding the toilet scrubber and sucking on it, and escaping out the front door and disappearing before we even know he's gone.      Yet-one little slobbery kiss from this dude and all is forgiven.   Like I said.   Awesome!   

With kids like this I really shouldn't complain if they don't listen to me from time to time, (or ...ever for that matter) now should I?    

Not everybody gets to be surrounded by such AWESOMENESS!!!

Planes, Popcorn and lots of Piano Practice!

June is probably one of the busiest months of the year for us. It's around this time that our schedule begins to fill up with not only soccer and baseball but also: end of year concerts, track & field days, class swimming days, field trips, parties, finals, grad ceremonies and banquets and more! Sometimes when I stop to look at the calendar it makes my head spin, and I realize that I need to focus on the moment and simply enjoy THIS DAY that I am in. For whatever it holds.

Some highlights of the first week of June:


Abby completed her second year of piano lessons!!!   On Monday, we got to see her perform at her piano recital and she did GREAT!  She played a song called "Robots Marching" and it is a piece that has been quite difficult for her.  (well....practicing it has been quite difficult for her, let's put it that way;)      Her piano teacher is simply wonderful and I have learned that it helps to throw "Sister Atwood's" name into the conversation whenever I'm trying to get Abby to practice.    For some reason that works every time.    Why are my kids so willing to please others, but could care less about what I have to say?

 In the end Abby played great and I've given Abby the week off of all things piano.   Little does she know this hiatus will be short lived as I'm determined to make her practice all summer long! 

 What,  I'm the mom!  It's my prerogative to nag isn't it?

The rainy weather of last week is old news and we actually got a few really warm and enjoyable days this week. One or two days without WIND even - can you imagine that!!!      Nothing says summer like an ice cream cone with sprinkles and a cherry on top!

When the kids aren't filling up on ice cream cones before dinner, they can probably be found huddling around a freshly popped bowl of  buttery popcorn!    I think I've popped popcorn THREE times in the last few days and the novelty of it doesn't seem to ever wear off for these four.  

 I wish I could get them to eat their vegetables with the same enthusiasm.    (Perhaps if I tell them that "Sister Atwood" wants them to.  Do you think that would work?)

On Saturday we drove out a few minutes to the airport (if you could call it that) because we'd heard about a pancake breakfast that the flying club in town puts on.   We didn't go for the breakfast part of it, but rather to see the small planes that were owned and flown by flying enthusiast in the area.  Sam instantly began climbing up into one and we had to quickly put the brakes on that kid.   I wouldn't put it past him to figure it all out and take off flying!

It was neat to see some of the pilots start their planes (some of them self made planes)  and take off down the runway for home, and the kids cheered every time a plane took off or landed.   John though, was without a doubt the most excited one of all and I could tell that he was trying to figure out in his mind just how exactly he could go about getting one of these things for his very own.  

I've decided that for Father's Day- I'm just going to go ahead and get him a plane.   

Meh, it's no biggie- just a little token of affection for the man I love.  

Happy Sunday!!!!  

I'd rather...

"I'd rather have roses on my table than diamonds on my neck."  - Emma Goldman 

(I realize these aren't roses-but I can be flexible;)