I had to get a picture of Porter sleeping with his Doggy and his Nigh-Night! He has a death grip on that dog; Papa gave it to him when he was one and Porter is never without it.Tuesday, July 14, 2009
My Doggy
I had to get a picture of Porter sleeping with his Doggy and his Nigh-Night! He has a death grip on that dog; Papa gave it to him when he was one and Porter is never without it.
Sacramento Train Museum
Scott's Favorite Museum Our family has a year pass; and we went at the beginning of the year and Porter liked it. We toured the museum and rode the train. It was nice. But this time was 110% better! Porter was going crazy! And Scott was on cloud nine. Finally someone who loves the museum as much as I do, ( I know that's what my honey was thinking). It was a great day for the whole family. The girls love to ride the train the best.
The train operates on a 40 minute, six mile round trip route atop the levees of the Sacramento River. At the end of the line, the authentic steam locomotive "cuts off" the passenger cars and "runs around" the train, coupling onto the other end for the trip back to Old Sacramento.
Megan and Trevors Visit
Uncle Trevor and Aunt Megan came to California for a visit. Lydia and Sarah are having a BLAST riding Grandpa's tractor. So much fun that Trevor had to put a time limit on the fun.
Run Forest Run!
Aunt Megan is a great cook and she had tons of helpers for making her famous Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies.
While the girls are cooking the boys will play***MISCHIEF MAKERS!***
Pulling the leaves of Grandma's plants.
Well someone has got to use the extra PVC pipe from the garden.
Pulling the leaves of Grandma's plants.
Well someone has got to use the extra PVC pipe from the garden. Practicing their Karate moves
Tritons
GO TRITON'S
On your mark, get set,
Go....McKenzie is off to a great start doing the back stroke.
McKenzie is taking a breather for the next events.
Look at the form on McKenzie. She has really improved from last year! Scott and I are so proud of her. It's great to see her excel in swimming just like her Gammie and Grandma Alice.
She is fast doing free style. She came in first place.
At this swim meet, McKenzie was awarded 3 firsts and 1 second place ribbon.
McKenzie had her last swim meet and over half of her age group, (girls 7-8) weren't there. So McKenzie swam EVERY event in her age group. She is on FIRE!! During one of the rally she started the rally and then ran back around to the start of the pool and also had to finished the rally too. McKenzie got the team from last place to first! That's my girl.
McKenzie is taking a breather for the next events.
Look at the form on McKenzie. She has really improved from last year! Scott and I are so proud of her. It's great to see her excel in swimming just like her Gammie and Grandma Alice.
She is fast doing free style. She came in first place. 
At this swim meet, McKenzie was awarded 3 firsts and 1 second place ribbon. 
McKenzie had her last swim meet and over half of her age group, (girls 7-8) weren't there. So McKenzie swam EVERY event in her age group. She is on FIRE!! During one of the rally she started the rally and then ran back around to the start of the pool and also had to finished the rally too. McKenzie got the team from last place to first! That's my girl.Grandma Jean
Great Day! Great Visit!We all needed this visit with Grandma Jean. The last time we saw her she was getting over a bad cold and was sleeping. This time Grandma was laughing and Ah'ing at the kids. The kids were entertaining Grandma while she had her hair cut my Mom. There were some sweet and tender moments with Grandma during our visit. Grandma would tilt her head at Porter and lean in to me like she wanted to tell me something. And Grandma rubbed Lydia's back as we talked to her. And as we were all saying good-bye, McKenzie leaned in to hug her and Grandma kissed her on the head.
As time as passed, and Grandma's health has decreased; I know that Grandma doesn't know who we are, but for those brief moments she did.
Thursday, June 18, 2009
Lydiaism
All the kids and I were walking to Blockbuster and we passed a furniture store that had giant beds and Lydia says, I could spend my whole life in one of thoses.
Wednesday, June 10, 2009
Missionary Me
Rainbow School year 2008-2009 was an spiritual experience from the get go. It started off in Sacrament meeting last year. One of the talks was on Fiances/Budgeting. Having four kids, it at times can get hairy, but on this occiaon all the kids were extra good during that talk that Brother Butler gave. The spirit was so strong that hour. The spirit was telling me to have the twins not go to Rainbow School at 4 years old; which was in 3 weeks. Scott had a church meeting with Elders Quorum after church, so I knew that I would have time to gather info from the computer to teach the girls preschool at home. Scott arrived home and we sat down as a couple and I discussed what I had felt and what I knew in my heart was the right thing to do.
Going over finances with Scott, we had budgeted accordingly for preschool; but both thought maybe in the near future things are going to be different.
I made the call to Rainbow the next day and talked with Miss Rita Schuckman and told her that we wouldn't be returning to Rainbow School for this year because of financial reasons. She told me that all the teachers would truly miss Lydia and Sarah. That afternoon Rita called and said
she was talking it over with Pam Cook, (founder of Rainbow School) and they would like Lydia and Sarah to attend Rainbow anyway. That blew my mind! With so much generosity given to us, I asked Rita in exchange could I volunteer at school 2 days a week. She said she would be delighted.
Things were working out great. The girls loved having their mommy at school and I was learning so much from all the teachers about different ways to approach kids (teaching and disciplining). I have become a more patient and loving mom because of the wonderful example that was taught to me through the teachers there.
Around October 2008, Rita's husband was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer and she was going to be gone until January 09. The doctors were not expecting him to live after the surgery. With heart-felt prayers, he made a speedy recovery and Rita was back to work after the holiday break in January. While she was gone, Pam was thanking me for volunteering this year, because they couldn't have survived this year without me. That comment to me brings me to tears to this day. Here Scott and I thought that, that it was because of our future financial trouble for the reason for not going to Rainbow and to discover the real reason for going to Rainbow.........Serving others!
Miss Jana has two boys, one in college and the other a junior in high school. She came up to me on the play ground and told me that her family is taking a trip to Utah to see the University of Utah for her son. I told her how great that was. Well, that led us to discuss, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. She had questions from genealogy to temples to our moral standards, to Sunday meetings. Because we were at the play ground and the kids only get 10-15 minutes to play, the conversations were sweet and to the point. I couldn't get home fast enough to tell Scott about my marvelous missionary experience. Two weeks/ a month went by and I was in the classroom cutting and she came and asked more questions about the church. Later that month, playground again, she gave me such a wonderful complement about my family and being LDS. She said she has never seen an family with such wonderful values and strong family life as mine. All the girls talk about is family, church, scriptures. Miss Jana told me that her husband works with five Mormons and they are the most wonderful people you will ever meet.
Our ward missionaries stop at our house frequently and I told them the exciting missionary news of the month. They challenged me to give her a pamphlet that answers any questions that she might have. I was thrilled to go to school that week and hand her the pamphlet. She took it and said thank you so much, I cant wait to read it. A few minutes later she came to me and asked if she could keep it or would she have to give it back. I said that's yours to keep. I knew from that comment, that she was truly going to read it. That next week when I volunteered at school, Miss Jana and I talked about the pamphlet, and she was the one who started the conversation.
Our ward missionaries had dinner at our house and asked how thing were progressing with Miss Jana. Things were going great. Weeks had gone by and I felt that I needed to give her a Book of Mormon. I was nervous as to how I would give her one and how to start the conversation leading to the book. Especially at school were time needs to be set aside for that conversation. I called the missionaries and asked to have a copy to give to Miss Jana. The end of the year was a week away and I knew that I had to give her the book at the beginning of next week. Monday rolled around and I told her I would like to talk to her in private tomorrow. She quickly said, we can meet now, but I told her that I wanted to give her something and I will bring it tomorrow. Scott and I talked and we decided that I would lead in the conversation with how wonderful it was to work with her this year and how much I grew closer to her.
Prayers were said every chance I got to let me know what to say and for the right moment to say them.
After school I had the girls play a little longer as Miss Jana and I talked. We went into the Goldfish Room and we sat down. For what seemed like forever, but was really 1 minute; all I could do was cry. Miss Jana was terrified, she thought she had done something wrong to upset me. I knotted my head and expressed to her my feelings about working with her, about the playground talks and finding out we are so much alike. I reached down and presented her the Book of Mormon. I told her that I would like her to have it. What values I have and the person that I am today is because of this book and being a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. She told me that she will cherish this book and always think of me when she reads it.
The next day one the the girls came to me and told me to check my file. And there was a card from Miss Jana. It reads: I just had to tell you how much our "little chat" meant to me. I am in awe of you and your family, and your faith. I will cherish the gift as well as the moments shared our on the playground. Love , Miss Jana
I have never felt so close to my Heavenly Father than I did at that moment. I am grateful that I was in tune to the spirit a year ago. This missionary experience was glorious!
I made the call to Rainbow the next day and talked with Miss Rita Schuckman and told her that we wouldn't be returning to Rainbow School for this year because of financial reasons. She told me that all the teachers would truly miss Lydia and Sarah. That afternoon Rita called and said
she was talking it over with Pam Cook, (founder of Rainbow School) and they would like Lydia and Sarah to attend Rainbow anyway. That blew my mind! With so much generosity given to us, I asked Rita in exchange could I volunteer at school 2 days a week. She said she would be delighted.
Things were working out great. The girls loved having their mommy at school and I was learning so much from all the teachers about different ways to approach kids (teaching and disciplining). I have become a more patient and loving mom because of the wonderful example that was taught to me through the teachers there.
Around October 2008, Rita's husband was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer and she was going to be gone until January 09. The doctors were not expecting him to live after the surgery. With heart-felt prayers, he made a speedy recovery and Rita was back to work after the holiday break in January. While she was gone, Pam was thanking me for volunteering this year, because they couldn't have survived this year without me. That comment to me brings me to tears to this day. Here Scott and I thought that, that it was because of our future financial trouble for the reason for not going to Rainbow and to discover the real reason for going to Rainbow.........Serving others!
Miss Jana has two boys, one in college and the other a junior in high school. She came up to me on the play ground and told me that her family is taking a trip to Utah to see the University of Utah for her son. I told her how great that was. Well, that led us to discuss, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. She had questions from genealogy to temples to our moral standards, to Sunday meetings. Because we were at the play ground and the kids only get 10-15 minutes to play, the conversations were sweet and to the point. I couldn't get home fast enough to tell Scott about my marvelous missionary experience. Two weeks/ a month went by and I was in the classroom cutting and she came and asked more questions about the church. Later that month, playground again, she gave me such a wonderful complement about my family and being LDS. She said she has never seen an family with such wonderful values and strong family life as mine. All the girls talk about is family, church, scriptures. Miss Jana told me that her husband works with five Mormons and they are the most wonderful people you will ever meet.
Our ward missionaries stop at our house frequently and I told them the exciting missionary news of the month. They challenged me to give her a pamphlet that answers any questions that she might have. I was thrilled to go to school that week and hand her the pamphlet. She took it and said thank you so much, I cant wait to read it. A few minutes later she came to me and asked if she could keep it or would she have to give it back. I said that's yours to keep. I knew from that comment, that she was truly going to read it. That next week when I volunteered at school, Miss Jana and I talked about the pamphlet, and she was the one who started the conversation.
Our ward missionaries had dinner at our house and asked how thing were progressing with Miss Jana. Things were going great. Weeks had gone by and I felt that I needed to give her a Book of Mormon. I was nervous as to how I would give her one and how to start the conversation leading to the book. Especially at school were time needs to be set aside for that conversation. I called the missionaries and asked to have a copy to give to Miss Jana. The end of the year was a week away and I knew that I had to give her the book at the beginning of next week. Monday rolled around and I told her I would like to talk to her in private tomorrow. She quickly said, we can meet now, but I told her that I wanted to give her something and I will bring it tomorrow. Scott and I talked and we decided that I would lead in the conversation with how wonderful it was to work with her this year and how much I grew closer to her.
Prayers were said every chance I got to let me know what to say and for the right moment to say them.
After school I had the girls play a little longer as Miss Jana and I talked. We went into the Goldfish Room and we sat down. For what seemed like forever, but was really 1 minute; all I could do was cry. Miss Jana was terrified, she thought she had done something wrong to upset me. I knotted my head and expressed to her my feelings about working with her, about the playground talks and finding out we are so much alike. I reached down and presented her the Book of Mormon. I told her that I would like her to have it. What values I have and the person that I am today is because of this book and being a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. She told me that she will cherish this book and always think of me when she reads it.
The next day one the the girls came to me and told me to check my file. And there was a card from Miss Jana. It reads: I just had to tell you how much our "little chat" meant to me. I am in awe of you and your family, and your faith. I will cherish the gift as well as the moments shared our on the playground. Love , Miss Jana
I have never felt so close to my Heavenly Father than I did at that moment. I am grateful that I was in tune to the spirit a year ago. This missionary experience was glorious!
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