Thursday, May 28, 2009

Fun Week

So, the boys have been out officially one week today. What a week we have had! We had a really fun water balloon fight to start the summer off right. We got a family pass to Brimhall pool this summer so we made our first of many trips to the pool and we also went to the temple to just enjoy. Ryan was really concerned about not going in our Sunday clothes, and he kept asking, is it ok if we come here not dressed in our Sunday clothes? I assured him it was fine as we were just going to walk around. The boys were amazing, they got along and were really pretty good at the temple. . .Amazing what the Spirit can do. Bummer, I didn't bring a camera to a single place besides to the water balloon fight, but that one I am sure you can only imagine -- total CHAOS!

I enjoy holiday crafts, and for the Fourth of July, Flag Day, Memorial Day, well, those mean patriotic, Right? I love Americana, so I went shopping in my "old" paper and came up with a few things, I think the projects turned out cute, and even though they lack imagination, I still like them!

 

 

 
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Wednesday, May 20, 2009

Sad Story

Ok, so my husband is a vet. You would think that animals would live a long and happy life at our house? Right?
Well, we have a sad story to tell. Jacob got a fish from school that they had studied in science, it survived 20 4th graders, and since it was still living, it came to our house. So, we got to go and get all of the things for his fish. Well, Spencer came with me to the good ole Wal-Mart, and 1.50 or so later we were the proud owners of five more fish, two per kid righ?

 

The kids were excited! An animal inside and something they could take care of! The dream of all involved!
 

THe fish survived getting home from the store and transferring to the bowl, this is amazing, our last fish lasted one week, and I somehow killed it changing the water!
 

So, this is a done deal, well, errr, maybe not. We took teh kids and went on an outing to Globe and we came home, the fish were still fine, Spencer got put to bed, the boys stayed up watching tv, and I went to read. The next thing you here, umm, mom, one of the fish isn't moving at the bottom of the tank! Yep, it is dead. The next morning, another fish is dead!
 

We make it to Monday, three fish. On Tuesday, TWO more die!!!!!! We are now the proud owners of one fish! I consider going to the store and getting more, but I don't know. . . Will they be another set that bite the dust?! Unfortunately, Jake didn't study goldfish in school. I have a feeling, that Jacob's dream of his fish living ten years won't come to fruition! (They taught the kids that fish will live up to ten years in school -- now WHERE does that happen?!)
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Sunday, May 17, 2009

Cool Website!

Ok, so, I blogged for ideas for this summer, and thanks for the ideas, my sister, told me about a cool thing that is FREE! It is called a culture pass, you just go to either the Chandler or Mesa library with your library card, if you don't have a library card, you can get one in Mesa! There is also a really cool website that tells you all of the culture related things, and then you can specify for kids/family! The link is on my favorite sites, but here it is, www.showup.com check it out!

Wednesday, May 13, 2009

Summertime

Oh, what do you do in the summertime? I have a new appreciation for that primary song that I learned when I was 5 or 6. . . I have been planning our sumer and have gound severl activities to keep my boys, from hopefully fighting and quarelling all smmer. . .but you never know. I wodered if anyone has found any activities that have helped keep the summer fun past the first few weeks? Do you have a favorite day trip that you like? Are there any fun parks that are covered or splash parks that you really like? How about specials at local restaurants? I would love any of your brilliant ideas!

I will tell you our basic plans for the summer. We are going to ave a MTC type summer -- each of my boys has strengths and weaknesses that we want to key into and help strengthen before they are ready to go on missions, so the easy things for one will be the challenges for the other. One of my boys really likes to work, another really likes people and can talk to most anyone. So, I have determined things that I would like each of them to accomplish. Can we say grocery shopping, a BUDGET for an elementary school child, menu planning and implementing, working. . . In regards to school and sharpening skills, we are going to have reading programs, writin, each week all summer long, they will have to write a story (we have a comb binder) so they can pracice writing neatly and following the writing procss, if interested illustrating by hand or pictures. . .cooking, one dinner a week planned and prepared by the two older ones. Chores, well, they always are there. My struggle though is the quick and easy rewards and the fun things that they get for their hard work -- somehow the value of feeling good after working hard isn't there yet, so I need ideas on things we can do for FUN and escape the heat! Please share!

Sunday, May 10, 2009

Mother's Day


Growing up, I remember my mom disliking this day and how it always made her feel guilty. I remember thinking that she was crazy and how all of us kids, there are six just loved our mom. Well, fastforward to today, I can see whay she hated mother's day, there are such inspirational stories about the wonderful mom's that do "everything right" never get mad, love their difficult children with the right words being said. I am more aware of how I don't do anything the perfect way and how my children might be better off, if they had a better mom, but I also recognize the women that we are blessed to have as Grandma and Mom's. So, to pay tribute and express appreciation to the women that we love, I polled my famiy on what they loved about these women. . . .

First off, my Grandma, Alta Brown

My Grandma, or GG as my boys call her, is the Mother to two children, Grandma to six and Great-Grandma to almost thirteen
She is an accomplished artist, expert seamstress, amazing quilter, excellant cook, has a green thumb and to this day grows beautiful flowers to name a few of her great talents.
When asked, my boys said she is nice, she knows alot of rules for games (I guess she plays lot's of games?), She lets us play with her dart game when we visit, she lets us play her hoop game, let's us play games in her garage. She always wants to help us improve and gives us suggestions to help us be better. We love GG and are so grateful that she is in our lives!!

Our next person, is Jake's Mom, Pam DeGraffenried

Pam is the Mother of nine amazing children, Grandma to forty and I am sure counting
Pam has always enjoyed designing houses. With Ed being a builder she has improved upon many homes over the years. She knows where and what the best of all buildin materials are. She also enjoys plants. They have lived in many different homes that she has planted beautiful trees, and moved on before they grew to maturity. She prefers being out in her garden or working on something in the yard to preparing meals. A story that I have heard often is that she used to go fishing every afternoon until one of Jake's younger siblings was borna nd she had a newborn to take care of. She also is known for her love of tools. She just really enjoys them.
When I asked my family what they appreciate Grandma Pam for, this is what they said: She is a great Grandma and gardener. She lets us paly toys. She loves the gospe. She sets a good example. She worries about her family and them staying close to the gospel. She raised her son to love his family and the gospel. She does the things she is interested whle heartedly and totally embraces them! We are glad to have her in our lives!

Next is my Grandma Knapp, Agnes Knapp. I don't even have a picture of her, but I adore Grandma Knapp, my husband and boys never got to meet Grandma Knapp, but I wish they had.
Grandma Knapp would have been 102 this year if she had lived, my mom, was the youngest of five children. Grandma kind of had a hard life, her husband was not very active in the church and his political views were different than hers. They always agreed that she could raise the children in the gospel and he could sway them his way politically, she got her way in both. Grandma was a school teacher and loved reading. She was kind and made all of her family members feel loved and like they were her favorite. When we would go to visit her, we could just lounge, read in her room and play, no expectations and total acceptance. Grandma never was known for her cooking, but she was feisty. I remember when she was at my parents house my dad took her picture for our wall of pictures and she had been chopping onions, so she was told to smile, she pointed the knife at her! Love it! I could go on and on about my Grandma, but she wa amazing!
Next is my Mom, Maradel Brown.

I am biased, but my mom is amazing! She is the mom to six children and almost thirteen grandchildren. She enjoys reading, puzzles, traveling, shopping, her childrne, learning, teaching, talking to her family, my dad, amd anything her family is doing. She has been on two missions, and is coming home in June. We are excited about that. She has taught school for I think nine years in all. She has specialized in reading and has her master's degree. She always has been supportive of her kids and a great example to her grandchildren by setting an example along with my dad of serving misisons because the Prophet asked them to.
Wehn my family was asked about Grandma Brown, they said, they loved that she lets them play legs, she alwayse lets us read books. She lets us play micromachines she lets us climb her fig tree, she feeds us lots when she is home! She reads me stories she knows a whole lt about everything. She lets us climg the "walnut" tree (pecan). She tells Deana to be nicer to Jake. She is willing to sacrifice the comfort of family and home to share the gospel. She loves the gospel!

We love all of the women in our life! I still am not crazy about Mother's Day, andI still wishthat I can do better, but there is nothing that I wish that I could be doing over being mom to my three boys, even on the days that they try me and make me question, why I am doing what I am doing, I love when they come in from whatever they are doing and to here them yell, MOM, it makes it all worth it!

Friday, May 8, 2009

Free Chocolate Friday!


Ok, so if you are a chocolate lover, I have a treat for you! On Friday, you can go and reguster for a free Mars (Snickers, M&M's don't remember anymore they make) candy bar! They only give out 250,00 on Friday's, so if you are interested, you go to www.realchocolate.com, sign up and you will get a coupon for a candybar!

Thursday, May 7, 2009

All Boy

Jake subbed for the lesson half of primary in Spencer's class on Sunday, and the other teacher asked Spencer what he would do if his brother (remember both are older than him) was playing with his toy? Well, Spencer replies very matter of factly, I would beat him up! He is my feisty one, hen he encounters the 11 year old scouts, he is the first to pick a fight, if he thinks there is a fight to be fought.

 

Last Thursday, Spencer got a peice of the door handle. I am glad that it wasn't a fist from one of his brothers, fortunately, the boys really don't fight so much with him so I don't get tons of injuries, but he had black eye. I know that it is hard to see, but on Sunday it was a doozie, wonder what he real teacher thought. . .
 

Spencer got his hair cut yesterday, and he LOVES getting it cut! Absolutely, LOVES getting up in the chair and just sitting there. Yesterday, I went and sat in the front and he was such a good kid. He didn't even know I was snapping pictures . . this is particularly amazing to me as he has always been this way and Ryan was the exact opposite, I would pin him on one side and then switch and pin him on the other side to get his hair cut.
 

This last picture is just one of those I need to freeze time and remember these kids. We have driven carpool with them for the past year to preschool and even though there is two more classes, I am driving so I am sure I won't bring the camera or anyway, I need to remember. Hayden, the girl sitting next to Spence is moving in June and it is a sad thing to consider. . . Spence, Tot's and Hayden have been playing together since they were two. . .they are four and now she is moving to bigger and better. It has been so fun to drive all four of them to and from preschool and to hear the conversations that they have and to hear perspective. I have really gotten to know them well and love them for the good kids they are. It has been particularly entertaining to hear the girls talking, don't get much of that!
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Sunday, May 3, 2009

Has anyone read?. . . .

Ok, so, I have been reading a series of books as of late, and I would really like to know if anyone has read any of them. The first book had kind of an intriguing outlook on the pre-existence and I would love it if anyone has read it and wants to discuss it. It would be a great Book Club book, but only for an LDS crowd, probably fine for any crowd truthfully. . . I do have the book, so if you are looking for a book to read. . . and honestly, I think you could leave and not feel the need to read a series. The books are the Great and Terrible series, the book I am speaking of is The Brother's. The author is Chris Stewart. If you are interested, of have read the book, let me know! The rest of the series is kind of end of the world action thriller, but, like I said this one could stand on its own.

Friday, May 1, 2009

I am SPOILED

A while ago, I went to a class with some of my friends, and they were lamenting that they would love a cricut. I have never really cared to have one, never had much time for crafting except for like once in a long while, and why invest the money into it? Well, my boys are a bit older and I have had some challenges that I have needed to take a time out of sorts for myself. I know that probably doesn't make sense, but oh well. So, I started doing some craft projects, I think I have done more crafting in the last five months than I allowed in the past five years! But that is another lament. I found with my projects that I was either having to cut letters out meticulously by hand (way over rated) or go to the scrapbook store and use their die cut machine which usually necessitated taking a lot of time away from my house not to mention the money I was spending. . . So, about two months ago, I decided that if I got a cricut, I would be able to use the recources that I had at home not to mention the TIME I would be Saving?!!! So, I am the proud owner of a cricut machine. I think I will really like it, I have some bitter sweet experience so far. . .but I am learning QUICKLY little tidbits that have made all the difference and I was able to cut out letters for some blocks I did this evening totally in like TEN minutes! That was having to retry a couple of things twice too! Love that!
So with that said, here is one project that all my cute sisters in law in Utah are doing this weekend, at least I hope they are doing it :) -- and then the following is part of a project that I did today -- I would show it all to you, but one of the letters is missing some bling and well, truth be known, I was supposed to be in Utah to help with this get together today and tomorrow, but I am not. . .so, I had to mail the project to them and some of my bling is there and not here. Anyway, if you are in need of a cricut, I guess I am coming out, give me a call and I will hook you up!

 

 
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