Kitchen Floor is Almost Done / Prayers for Grandma

Mike finally finished putting the last few wood pieces in on the kitchen floor and I must say it looks FABULOUS! (I'll post pics after it's all beautified) Hoping to have it sanded and stained this week before we leave for Carson City to see my much-loved Grandma. Keep her in prayer - she's down in spirit, not feeling well, and seems all to ready to leave this world behind. My sister and her two, my brother and his family and our family will all be seeing her soon, along with my aunt and two cousins I haven't seen in a very long time. Thinking about this visit, I'm anxious and scared and longing to see my Grandma, but not wanting to see her not well. She has always been in great health and great spirit and it hurts my heart to hear her talk about giving up. It reminds me of Mike's wonderful Grandpa and how he was ready to see his beloved Doris. My Grandma's house holds such warm and wonderful memories for me as a child, and I am looking forward to being reminded of those memories once again as we stay there. Hang on Grandma, just a little bit longer. Don't give up. We're almost there.

Public Education does NOT come cheap!

After paying over $200 for registration just for James to start high school,(and over $100.00 for Kaylie) I spent an hour last night reading through all his disclosures and making a list of what each of his classes are requiring. $30.00 for this, another $30.00 fee for that, with add'l monies needed for various other items half-way through the year-anywhere from $25 - $75), notebooks AND 3 ring binders AND dividers, AND page protectors for EACH of his 8 classes, pens, pencils, colored pencils, tape measure, safety glasses, scientific calculator (already had that from 7th grade, yeah me!)and other small miscellanous items. Then on to Kaylie's disclosures. Notebooks and 3-ring binders required for all her classes, plus art supplies - another $30.00...the list goes on. And of course, all monies have to be paid immediately before they can participate in said class that has fees required! Now, we had a few things here, but still needed to hit Walmart, which was an absolute zoo -everyone else shopping for the items they needed - and after buying the required binders, and bare minimum of what James and Kaylie needed, I still spent over $50.00! AND I still have to go get more items this weekend! Alot has changed from when I was in high school - no fees other than purchasing a yearbook, were required. (per my Dad). You think having young kids are expensive with diapers and formula, and constantly buying clothes and shoes as they outgrow everything so fast, then they hit Jr. High and High School and WHOA! I won't even bring up clothes as buying school clothes is still LESS expensive than paying for required school supplies and fees! Thanks for listening to me vent. I really don't feel any better tho!

More Summer Pictures

The End of a lazy? Summer

Only two more days of summer freedom left and I find myself with mixed emotions about starting back to work on Monday. On the one hand going back to work is good - a paycheck would be nice; but on the other, I didn't accomplish all the "to do's" I had on my list. Even knowing the time was coming, I still didn't seem to have the time to work on that list. My summer was spent in therapy twice a week for my wrist (yes, it's healing great, but still will take about a year to be completely pain-free, but never will it be 100% - 70 - 80% is the best I can hope for, but I am extremely grateful and happy that I can use it again, so it's all good!); driving back and forth to soccer practices, swim lessons, tennis lessons, and visiting with my parents who were here 3 times this summer! The "to-do" list goes back into my file of "things to do/accomplish over the summer and I'll look at it again next summer! James is starting 10th grade, Kaylie 8th grade with a new - dare I say it -"girly" wardrobe and new haircut (she is not afraid to try new hairstyles - reminds me so much of my niece Ashley), and Mark is going into 3rd grade. All three seem excited to start back up to school....we'll see how long that lasts when the homework starts up.....!

Family Pictures - sortof

My intentions are good, but trying to get the whole family together at the same time is almost next to impossible. So I did the next best thing and took pictures with each of the kids and I even got one of Mike and I, though he wasn't taking it very seriously. (something about trying to get firewood loaded in his truck for a church campout...) I still have high hopes for an official family photo sometime this fall....

Lava Hot Springs

What an awesome and fun-filled day spent at Lava Hot Springs with the Singleton Family. We tubed down the river several times (okay not me due to wrist injury), sustained bloody injuries (Mike and James), braved the HOT hot springs (the heat felt good on my wrist-the only part of me that went in), played for several hours at the Olympic water park,(they all loved the huge water slides, Mark included), Kaylie showed no fear as usual, braving the dive platform -1st of three levels), then we ended our day with one more trip to the hot springs and an ice cream, then headed home. What a great celebration of my birthday, spending it with family and friends!

Afternoon at Silver Lake

Ever since moving to Utah 9 years ago, I have LOVED being so close to the mountains, and lakes and rivers. One of my favorite lakes is Silver Lake. It's close and it is such a pretty little lake. I never get tired of walking around the lake. Stasi and I took the kids up there Thursday for a picnic lunch and we walked the lake several times. We had a good time and a nice few hours spent up in the mountains.