School Is Out!!!

My children are officially out of school, though it doesn't yet feel like "summer" break. The weather has been completely unconvincing!  Even so, Fred finished putting my bench back together yesterday and, bundled up, I forced myself outside and mowed the lawn so the yard looks lovely and inviting but isn't until the sun decides to resurface. I'm hoping this isn't a re-do of last year where summer didn't start until July. Fred says rain or shine we are putting in a garden tomorrow because we are SO LATE!

Mikayla went to the YSA ward today for the first time. There were almost 100 there,which is fantastic. She said she really enjoyed it. Her best friend Tessia was in town so they went together and took Jet. Because they came together and sat together, her Sunday School teacher asked if she and Jet were dating. That is not their relationship at all but those kinds of situations make Jet feel uncomfortable and awkward, so he was quick and forceful in his answer in the negative and Mikayla who takes all that kind of stuff in stride, prolonged his discomfort by saying, "rude!" and then he had to recover from that, poor boy. She does have that little devious side to her, naughty girl.

I am so proud of her this week however. She finished her Personal Progress and will receive her Young Womanhood Recognition next week. I was so grateful to Bishop for talking to her about the importance of "finishing" in his final interview, and because he used to feel the same way he could explain it so it made sense to her. She has worked so hard and accomplished so much good along the way and even though I think she "finished" more for me than for her I know the process has been so good for her and will mean even more to her as the years go by. Now I am going to start focusing on finishing mine with Eden. Abe is closing in on finishing his "Faith In God" and his "Arrow of Light" and the summer is always such a perfect time for non stressful goal setting. I am looking forward to that interaction with my children.

Poor little Maunzy has been having some real struggles these past few days. Mikayla noticed that one of his eyes was puffy and his nose was bleeding on Wednesday. She did some research and he was portraying many of the symptoms of teeth problems. Then later she noticed that he wasn't using his front foot and had stopped eating. Eden finally fessed up that she had stepped on him the day before. Of course it's a holiday weekend, so I can't take him to the Vet until Tuesday, but I am worried about the poor guy. I have been praying for him and he has started eating again and the swelling around his eye is coming down, and though he is getting around well, he still isn't using his foot and I'm not getting response from his eye. I am praying he won't be blind or crippled. It was all an accident and I know Heavenly Father is mindful even of these little animals. 

Abe had his 5th grade Graduation Ceremony and is now officially a Middle Schooler... and I am officially freaked out!  He seems to be growing up so fast. I am glad to be sending him to Charter School and bypassing some of the drama of those Middle School years because of a different environment. We are planning on pulling him back into the regular school system once he reaches High School. Our new High School just had it's open house last weekend and it is amazing. It was funded during the "hey days" of the economy and is larger and more equipped than even Mountain View -- and all for this little community. We are so excited for the opportunities that it will bring our kids. It is really quite an amazing building and a brand new LDS church sits adjacent to it waiting for it's open house. The Lords hands are always in the works.

Mikayla is going to BYU-I this week, with her best friend who is in already attending school there,  to "scope things out". I really hope they were referring to housing and not men! =) She earned money for the trip by painting furniture for Marg all day yesterday, so she is excited. If she can find a permanent job, we have given her permission to go on a Disneyland trip with Tessia's family in September. They have been planning this "magical adventure" for years and it is finally coming to fruition. So many exciting things--such an exciting time of life!

I am glad that January seems so far away, because my heart is already becoming fragile about letting go of my girl. It's a different kind of fragile then letting go of my boy, but any kind of fragile breaks easily. We are going to store up such a plethora of good memories this Summer and Fall!

A man from our ward was asking about Jordan today and I told him that he seemed so happy that I wasn't sure if he were going to want to come back and Abe piped up and said, "well if he does come back, we might be calling him Tubby!" I was a little shocked and I think Bro. Thompson was caught off guard as well. I quickly explained that Jordan was "blessed" by the members generosity and had put on a little weight. The man said his missionary son in Brazil is having quite the opposite experience and has lost 20 pounds and is "really struggling". I'm glad I don't have that worry, but sometimes I do worry about Abe's social manners=). I'm afraid all of that big brother teasing is going to come back to bite Jordan.  I am just glad he's not starving! I feel blessed that he is so happy. I remember Taylor having that same "Chile excitement" even after he had been home for months. It is fun to watch that fire.

Tonight I will go to bed with dreams of hammock weather, good books, growing things and family all around and will just keep on dreaming until it ALL becomes a reality...because, after all, isn't that what summer is really all about?

Graduation "Walk" with Mrs. Janssen (Teacher)

The Proof

Abe, Mrs. Berg (Principle)

Leah Myers, Beau Pirto , Abe (Best Friends)

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Posted By Bloomers to KEEPING UP WITH THE JONESES at 5/30/2011 08:27:00 AM