Last Day of School and the Chore Chart!

Reality began to sink in last night...(sniff. sniff.) I am getting old. Okay, what I mean is...Victoria is going into 8th grade. That just sounds awful. It is a little sad for me to see her growing up and moving through the sequence of life. I know I should be excited for her, but it just seems like yesterday she was in elementary school. I am actually getting choked up as I write this...Ha Ha! See. I am getting old. Must be the sentimental "hormones" kicking in. To all you young mom's out there...enjoy today and make a memory with your child. Hug and squeeze your kids and tell them that you love them. These precious days do not last forever!

Last Day of school photos:

Victoria last day of 7th grade.

Caitlin last day of 5th grade.

Courtney last day of 5th grade.

Brianne last day of 2nd grade.

Oh, what's this next photo? Well, it's my favorite thing about summer...the chore chart lands back on the fridge! (Woot! woot!) I love the summer time because I get my little slaves back! Muu-hahaha!

I love saying that because about mid July, when the kids are hot, cranky and b-o-r-e-d, they say to me..."your just in a good mood Mom, because you have your slaves home!" (hee-hee!)

To give some of you some ideas for chores here is a list of what my kids do...

Monday-Thursday chores:

clean bedroom

Meal dishes

clean kitchen

vacuum

clean game room

wash windows

Dust baseboards

clean back yard

fold laundry

Friday Chores: (these are a little more difficult, but there are less.)

clean toy area of garage

dust living room shelves and photos

clean bathrooms

collect trash throughout home

Dust game room, tv's and computer areas

clean pool and pool area

Memorial Day Fun & End of the School Year Wrap up!

This past weekend was loads of fun! It began with a brisket dinner at a dear friends home on Saturday, I spoke in church on Sunday (Tori came into listen and afterwards she exclaimed,"Mom! you did so good!!" So, I guess I did pretty well. :), we had friends over Sunday evening for games and on Monday we had fun swimming all morning and a BBQ with my parents in the afternoon, along with basketball in the evening! By the time we got home late last night, we were all sunburned and tired. It was difficult prying the girls out of bed this morning. They are so very ready for school to be out next Wednesday, June 3rd.

I can tell it's the end of the school year...they are exhausted. I can't believe the school year is over. Each of the girls have progressed so much this year and have accomplished so many goals. I think Victoria takes home the prize for the most accomplished this year. From beginning junior high, keeping straight A's, making honor society, trying out against 72 girls and make the volleyball team, making the basketball team, and track, throwing shot put and discus and bringing home 1st place awards in the district! WOW! What a year! Way to go Tori! I am looking forward next year already, I can't wait to see what great things you will do.

Caitlin and Courtney also kept A grades this year. They survived their first year of Intermediate school, lockers and all! They survived being in the GT (gifted and talented) classes and also survived being teased daily by the boys! (They were relentless.) They are so excited to begin going to Young Women's this summer and are VERY EXCITED to go to Stake Girls Camp!

Brianne enjoyed 2nd grade this year and her teacher, Mrs. Williamson was so kind to her. She treated her as if she were her own child. :) Brianne's reading improved this year and her piano skills have taken off! It has been neat to watch her begin piano lessons in October and now she can play pretty well. She recently had a recital where she played a piece of music in front of a large audience of about 100 people. She did very well and I was so proud of her. Way to go Bri! :)

Tiffany is and isn't looking forward to her sisters being home next week for the summer! She enjoys watching her pre-school programs on TV and not having to share the TV! She enjoys having Mom's attention all to herself and not having to share Mom during the day. She enjoys a quiet home during nap time and not a lot of noise from big sisters and friends trampling through the house! Over all, she will enjoy having them home. There will always be someone to play with!

As for me, well, I do have mixed emotions about the girls coming home for the summer. I enjoy that I can spend time with them...talking, laughing, and learning. I enjoy baking and cooking with them and teaching them how to make tasty foods! I enjoy that I have babysitters always on hand! I do enjoy the job chart and that everyone pitches in with the housework! However, I do not enjoy the extra laundry (especially the swimming towels!!) and I do not enjoy hearing, "I'm BORED!". :-) All in all, by the time summer ends, I will be sad to see them go back out into the world...I hope this summer will be a time of lessons learned and growing up. I hope, just hope, that they will be stronger and ready to take the world by storm this Fall...my guess is, they will be ready! Watch out world!

Happy Summer yall!

Brianne's Piano Recital

Last weekend Brianne had her first piano recital! She did very well for a beginner. She played a piece that she learned a few months ago. I was proud of her for playing in front of so many people. I'd guess there were about 100 people in the audience. Way to go Brianne! Her teacher told me that she has great rhythm and she has caught on quickly how to read music and play the piano. This is so exciting for me! I have always wanted one of my children to play and now I have one! :O)

Summer Vacation is Almost Here!

My girls have the count down going! They are so excited for school to be out...Ron and I too! What a year it's been driving the kids all over the place. From school, to church, to volleyball, basketball, track and piano. We are all so happy to be able to just sit back and relax! We are excited for Tori, Caitlin and Courtney to all go to girls camp this summer! What an experience that is going to be for each of them. We are still not sure if we will be traveling anywhere this summer. Our plans are still up in the air. :)

District Fine Arts Festival

This weekend we went to the High School to see Brianne dance and see their art work that made it to the district festival. Lots of fun! Brianne's 2nd grade danced and all had a great time...especially Tiffany at the craft tables!



I thought it was lame that Tori's cowboy art didn't make it to the festival. This pot is beautiful and the details are incredible, but I personally don't think this shows her capabilities...she is such a talented artist! So, I will insert her cowboy art below! (I'm just being a proud Mom! hehe! :)




Self portrait by Caitlin (blue hair huh?!)

Brianne: White and pink, heart ceramic pot.

Brianne getting ready to dance. (brown shirt and pig tails. Click on pic to enlarge.)

Mother's Day!

I had a fun weekend celebrating Mother's Day! My best gift? Definitely the Generator (such peace I feel now that I own a generator and Hurricane season begins next month! No more worries, the next time my power goes out for 2 weeks!) and the 24 roses! Then again, dinner, the cards, the kids photos, the new Lily for my garden and emergency preparedness lanterns were delight also! It was all good! :) Thanks Ron for making it so nice!

So, Will you Speak in Church?

The most perplexing thing happened to me today. A Stake High Councilman asked me to speak in another ward in a couple of weeks. A part of me is nervous and a part of me excited. I do like speaking and teaching, and I just found a ton of information on the Internet on the topic given. So, this should be pretty easy right? Then, why do I feel like I am gonna barf? This should be easier speaking to another ward other than my own right? At least if I mess up or something...most likely I won't see these folks again... Can you tell I am still kicking myself for saying,"Yes". What was I thinking? :O) Well, I will step out of my comfort zone and learn something from this I am sure. It's been said, that if you don't step out of your comfort zone, you will never really know what happiness is. So, here it goes...weeeeeeeeeeeeee!

Tiffany's Bike -- Freedom?!

Now Tiffany can keep up with her big sisters! She has been watching them and the neighbor kids for quite sometime ride their bikes in circles around her! Now she keeps up with the pack of kids...up and down the street they go all afternoon. She looks so cute on her little bike. Courtney and Caitlin have been teaching her bicycle safety and what to do when a car comes down the street. It is precious watching them help her learn!

It's raining, it's pouring!

So, for the past few weeks, it seems all it does is rain...I don't mean a sprinkle, I mean a Texas size down pour. During the last 24 hours our little city here in the Houston area received 7 inches of rain...so the weather man says. However, it feels like more. The lightening and thunder were spectacular with the storm last night. Schools in the Houston area were closed today, except for our district, we were set back for two hours. I am not sure why they didn't close ours also, as I write this post, it is still pouring.

Here is a video clip I shot of the storm last night around dinner time...let me remind you, this kept up all night and into this morning...it reminds me of a hurricane!

I'm a true Texan....now!

So today is 85*. The kids were all hot and wanted to run through the sprinkler. So, I set up Tiffany's little one in the backyard...where I have been sitting most today reading...and reached to turn on the hose. As I was just about to turn in on, I looked down and I saw this next to my bare foot...

Click on the pictures to enlarge...ya know to get the FULL effect!

Whoow! I didn't know I could move that fast! Well, let's just say I took care of this snake...Texan style....watch my video...

Okay...so it's only a little puny bb gun...but it got the job done just fine. YUCK! I still have the hee-bee-gee-bees!!

Goodbye Averys!

We had lots of fun this past week with you! We miss you already!

Brenham, Texas --Bluebonnets

We made the annual pilgrimage out to Brenham, Texas last week! Why do you ask? It's the thing that all Texans do this time of year! Since Carol and Gary were visiting we decided to take them on the Blue Bell Ice Cream Factory tour and of course see the wild flowers, which blanket the Texas Hill Country. We were fortunate enough to see fields and fields of Blue Bonnets along the state highway...it was like looking at a sea of blue. It was gorgeous. I love this time of year in Texas...cool, sunny and NO HUMIDITY! Wish it could last year round.

(Hi Nikii in South Korea! Welcome to our blog! :O) Gary and Carol told us all about you! They said you are their "Korean daughter". They did a ward fireside last night and they showed pictures of their favorite things in Korea...and there was a picture of you! :O) Gary and Carol left today and are now headed to Iowa to visit Bobbi Jo.)