Birds of Prey

As part of homeschooling I joined a group called the FRC, Family Resource Center.  In doing so I get emails and discounts.  In these emails are offers for discounts on homeschooling activities.  Most recently we went to a Birds of Prey assembly.  There were about 40 kids present.  We got there early and were able to get front row seats!  We previewed the display table, which I didn't bother with pictures because everything was behind plastic and I'd never be able to hold still long enough for the exposure, because the lighting wasn't great. 

The kids got to see a Kestral, Perrigrin Falcon, Barn Owl, Great Horned Owl, Turkey Vulture and a Golden Eagle.  All are native to Massachusetts.  The kids listened to the speaker and because we were in the front row they got a great view of the birds.

Great Horned Owl

Barn Owl

Kestral

Perrigrin Falcon

Turkey Vulture

Golden Eagle

The kids also got to discect owl pellets.  They got papers to write down facts they learned from the speaker.  It also had facts about the vairous bird on the back of the same page.  The papers they received also had images of the bones they may find in the owl pellets.  The kids are going to take the bones they found and glue them on to the skeleton paper so that they know what parts they have!  Fun!

At the end, the speaker talked about how much he loved speaking to home-school groups.  He said that everyone was so well behaved and polite.  He said that when he's at the public schools it's not so nice.  So kudo's to Jordan and Madison, because they were the only kids present that aren't homeschooled and he couldn't tell the difference.  Yeah, my kids are great, aren't they!

Summer in Spring

It's almost 90F outside and it is beautiful!  It reminds me of the summers of my childhood in California.  Low humidity and a wonderful breeze to cool you down.  The kids are outside playing in the sprinkler and the nieghbors are setting up their pools.  The kids decided to make a tsunami in the yrad.  So I had to go check it out.  They had dug into the lawn and made a dam which one of them (probably Madison) destroyed.

Ben is angry because he can't find the attachment to the pump.  He said just before I took this picture, Don't take my picture I'm not in the mood.  So of course, I took it anyway. 

I did some yard work, too.  I'm trying to get the yard into something I want to spend time in.  Though, with the mud puddles and holes it may not happen this year. 

Gingerbread Boy

Well, first things first. I'm sorry I haven't posted anything for a while. But, well, there really hasn't been anything to post.Until now.

My parents go to the temple with another pair of parents.They leave their children with us and we baby sit. Well, there are two kids: Joshua the oldest brother and Krysten the little sister.
Usually, Joshua just statys downstairs and plays wii with MADison. Krysten euther watches them or comes upstsairs and annoys us. Well, yesterday it was the same thing. Except it was a nice day out and Krysten and I went outside to play. When we came inside because we heard screaming, Everyone was crowde around the bathroom door and Joshua was behind it screaming"Three of my teeth are loose!" (This the teeth is not true.) Kara(our neighbor who came over to help) and Taylor kept saying that they were sorry but he always just said they were liars.
Taylor suuggested Krysten go in and talk to him, but he wouldn't let her in so she banged and kicked and pulled the door until T aylir pulled her away. Eventually, he stormed out and we followed him putting on our shoes because he ran outside. We found him up a tree which Krysten had been climbing earlier. Krysten ran toward him and climbed up the tree. I told her to stop but she woulldn't listen.As, she climbed up the tree, Joshua jumped down and ran thorugh the woods. We all followed him (actually, we were following Krysten who couldn't stop chasing after him because "He's my brother!")
He jumped on the road that stopped our woods and kept running.
I waited for Madison to catch up while Krysten, Taylor and Kara went after him. Eventuallly, we olowed them and found Josh walking back with Talor and KAARA. I went back to find Krysten, who had gotten caught in a bush.
I went home just in time to see Josh running up the street, Kara, Taylor,Lady, and Madison at his heels. I told Bailey to watch Krysten and left. We follwed Joshua until Kra sent me and Madison home. Josh came home and I got the rest of the story:
Josh was in the bathroom because kara accindently hit himm in the mouth.
Taylor had persueded Joshua to come home by offering Ice Sream and nobody bothering him.
That's all for now!

I don't have pictures!

I really hate not having pictures for everyone to see.  Granted not that many people read this either.  So I'm sure you don't mind that I don't post images or find something that is completely unrelated to this post.

The Sister missionaries came over to our home last night and helped me organize the living room.  The moved furniture, swept floors, went through my book case and organised the books by size and genre!  It took them hours, I'm guess 4 hours with dinner in the middle.  What a blessing they are!

Is it getting older that causes us to forget things we've known since we were a child, or is it just me?  I keep calling the Elders, Brother.  I know it's wrong but half the time I don't even hear what I'm saying!  I think I said one thing, and everyone laughs and tells me what I said.  Most of the time it's not big deal.  But what if this happens and it hurts someone's feelings!  I need to listen to myself, I guess.

So I'm going to go and volunteer at the Bishop's store house today.  I'm hitching a ride, and that's always fun.  It should be fun to do service for others.  Help pay back the service other's have done for me.

Madison will be turning 8 in July and so baptized shortly afterward.  I had hoped for July, but it seems that August is going to be a better time.  Suzanne has even asked to do late August, so that she and her family could come.  I have reservations about that because I wanted to be baptized so bad!  And I had to wait almost 2 MONTHS!  Now, that may not seem like a long time for you, but at 8 years old it might as well have been 2 years!  I'm thinking a Saturday would be good too, because then we can try to get the Ducharme and the Fisk families time with the Elders and/or Sisters.

Jordan had a pancake breakfast birthday and she and the 4 girls she invited had a blast!  They stayed up until 4:30am then got up at 8am to go and have a tour of a sugar house and pancakes.  They each ordered 2 pancakes with bacon, no one finished their meals.  So keep that in mind when you go have pancakes at a sugar house, always order less than you think you'll eat.  You can always order more!  Again, I forgot my camera and so have no pictures! :(

So here is a FacePalm to show my regret in not having any pictures for you.

Temple Work in the Light of a Tragedy

So J and I have accepted a calling to be Temple Workers.  We are very excited and are happy that we will be able to do service for others.

In our ward, the Bishop and his wife had a baby that lived only 7 days.  But those were 7 glorious days because she was supposed live only minutes.  Though we can do nothing for them, other than pray and just love them.

We hope that putting their name in for prayers, in the Temple, as well as the service we are doing for others will let them know that we are doing it for them.

We are one eternal family.  And we are so blessed.  I just wish, as I'm sure we all do, that there was more we could do.

J will go to the temple 4-5 times a month and I will go 2-3 times.  Since he works only a few minutes from the Temple he gets more opportunity.  I find that after only one day being away from the Temple, I think of little else except going back.  Life, of course, distracts for a time, but my thoughts are always drawn back to the beauty and comfort of the Temple.

I want to share these feelings with my non-LDS friends, the Ducharme's and the Fisk's especially, because I know that they would benefit more than the average Joe from the comfort given in the Temple.  So here is your fair warning, we are going to continue being your friends and we will share the gospel, our love and testimonies with you at every opportunity.  But we do it only because we love you.

Our Pets are our LIVES!

I never really wanted to be one of "those" people who lets their pets rule their lives.  But I have noticed lately that my pets seem to control a large part of my life.  The dog needs to be taken outdoors 3x a day to use the facilities, as well as feeding and basic training.  You can never repeat training too much.  But, the kids have over-fed her with treats for tricks.  Then we have vet appointments and baths that needs to be done regularly, every 10-14 days.  And on top of that grooming appointments.  Here is a picture of Lady after her lastest grooming.  She seems to have enjoyed it a lot more than the first time!  Plus, it's a new shop so we got a first time discount!

OK, so you think dogs are high maintenance, add a cat to that mix!  Jynx, our cat, can be pretty demanding as well.  We have to pet her when she wants, we must watch out toes when climbing in and out of bed because she loves to attack them while they are moving around under the covers.  Then she is a voracious eater.  I give her 1/4 in the morning and 1/4 cup at night.  And the devours every bite, then promptly pukes it up anywhere she happens to be.  Some days she can keep it down other days, she can't.  She won't go outside because of the cold, and is usually found on my bed or on the kids dresser hiding from the dog.  Occasionally, she will hide out on Taylor's bed.  The pictures are of her in a paper bag that we gave her to play with, though she just fell asleep in it.

  So between cleaning up cat mess, litter, shedding hair and puke, and the dogs walks, training and accidents, we are a busy family.  Change that, I'm busy!  I take care of 90% of the cats needs (excepting petting, she prefers J to me) and 95% of all dog care.  Now I know why my mom didn't want us kids to have pets!

It's about time...

It's about time I posted something here!  I don't know if I have pictures, or anything to say really.  We have been go go go lately.  I'm homeschooling two kids and that keeps my very busy.  Taylor does her work without the need of assistance, but Bailey isn't old enough to be self taught.  I'm also looking at the fact that next year I will probably need to buy some more books for math mostly.  Math books aren't really something you can pick up at the library.  And they are the most expensive of text books.  And then I need to also find out how to get tests for standardized testing.  Our town requires the test scores.  I was given info on a company, but I couldn't find the testing info on the website!  I don't know what to do!

Ben has decided to go on a mission!  Yeah!  He also is going to try to do something called Sports Quest.  He will go to Belgium, play soccer and share the gospel.  He is hoping to do that this summer, but he needs to raise about $2500 to cover all the expenses.  I hope he can go, I think this will be a once in a life time experience for him that he could really use.

I'd also like to increase my production of artwork.  Whether is it personal photography, pictures of my kids, or photography good enough to sell or enter into contests.  And finally, I want to start going to school.  I want to get a degree in Child Psychology.  I want to help kids who, by no choice of their own, have been put into situations that they can't deal with, so their parents will bring them to me.  And I can study them, learn about them and help them.  Too many kids are in households where there has been a divorce and the rotating boyfriend thing that too many mothers do it just so damaging.  I hope to be able to give these kids a safe harbor, where they can learn how to deal with their parents issues.

The snowman the kids made after a recent snow storm.  It is getting late so the image is a little dark and I didn't have my flash. And I had gloves on so I couldn't adjust my settings.   The parrot I took a few years back.  It was a pet that someone brought out to show off at Halloween.  It was such a beautiful bird and the sun was setting so the lighting was gorgeous.  The flower was me just messing around for the fun of it.  I was trying to be creative.  It usually turns out like this.  A mess and no one knows quite sure what the statement is supposed to be, and neither do I!