happenings

This is a little of what we have been up to lately.
The kids built a fire pit in the backyard. I think they miss the backyard in North Dakota a bit. So Karl burned all that he had been trying to get rid of from trimming the trees earlier in the summer. HE IS A PYROMANIAC! It was a VERY large and VERY hot fire.
The heat totally fried the leaves above it (like 20 ft above it).

This is Karl trying to roast a marshmellow after it burned down a bit. It was so hot you could hardly stand to get close enough to roast one.

Me reading with the kids one evening. This is Zac's favorite past time lately.

Zac's first time painting.
He loved it, but I think the girls like helping him even more.

Fun with pipe cleaners.

The aurboretum is beautiful at this time of the year. We had a fun field day there one afternoon learning about plants and trees and leaves, but mostly just enjoying the beauty around us.

Once again crazy Zac.

This is Carson's quilt that I made for him. I need to do one for Eldon and then paint their room. They don't really like the lime green.

Zac and Haylee sleep together. It's very cute. They are tangled up together every time I go into check on them.

Lydea and Rebecca with their babies.

In July our bishop challenged us to read the Book of Mormon by the end of the year. So the kids and I have been reading on school days. Most days Zac is so loud that nobody can hear anything that is read, but we are doing it. ANyway, one morning Zac looked really cute sitting reading his books so I grabbed the camera and so the next couple are in the morning during scripture reading.

The kids had to get a picture of me since I was getting one of all of them.

Rebecca and Zac playing family.

Carson really wanted a picture of me after I got back form the dentist. So here I am half numb. The kids love the half smile. We won't even talk about my cavities. It's a good thing my husband is going to be a dentist!

So Karl's school is pretty low key right now. Which is nice, but I feel it building slowly. This weekend he went to a remote area of KY and practiced some of his skills on some people that really needed some help. He loves the service. I missed him, but I'm so happy that he is willing to give of his time and his talents.

The kids and I stay busy. School and activities and the YMCA and church.

School is going great. Some days better than others, but I have realized that my patients has improved leaps and bounds through the years. I have great kids. I expect a lot of them and they work hard every day to be better people. I'm glad I have the opportunity to stay home with them and teach them. It takes a lot, but we grow and learn together. Although some days are hard the good days are amazing. There is just so much out there to learn. I love my kids and would give the world for them. I'm a terrible writer. I wish I could express myself in written words better, but I can't.

Our happenings for now.

what we are up to lately.

1 year down and starting up the second year. Although Karl was OFTEN found studying like this he did quite well for all that he has on his plate. I would tell you how well he did, but he doens't like people ot know things like that.

A couple things he learned about dentistry this year.

FLOSS he is always found flossing now. He says if you are going to choose to either brush or floss, choose to floss.

Colgate Total is the best toothpate out there. The good ingredient that they have in their toothpaste is patented.

Trident is great for your teeth.

You want a tooth brush with soft bristles!

Brush you tongue.

This is just what I can remember he told me. He studied A LOT of stuff that I wonder why like embrology, but whatever. He LOVED his cadaver class and most of his other hard science classes. I really hope that he continues to enjoy his education.

The next set of pictures are from the spring time that I just never got to. It was a fun day at the park. We flew kites, hiked around and played by the river.

This is the American Heart walk. Our family waled 3 miles. We had a good time. This picture is out of order, but I can't move the pictures on this computer for some reason.
(Karl REALLY needed a hair cut!)

Just a random picture of me because I hardly ever post pictures of me.

Cody and Eldon McKay. Cody is our next door neighbor. The two of them just don't know what to do without each other.

Crazy Zac!

This was a fun night. We were driving back from somewhere and started talking to the kids about what if you only... and Karl asked them what if you had to pick one treat and that was all you could eat for the rest of your life, what would you pick. They were all such simply things that we decided to go to the store and buy them their treats they picked. Most of them picked dounuts of some kind or another, carson picked pie, and Lydea picked a HUGE lolly pop. It was late and we end up going to 3 stores to get the treats be fore we found what they all wanted. So it wasn't as easy as we thought it would be, but it was fun.

Zac's summer hide-out.

Zac in time-out.
He is really funny. He stays there until someone counts to 20. He got in trouble for taking his diaper off and I just couldn't resist.

We spend and awful lot of time at the YMCA. I get my work out time, and then the kids get to pick either gym or swim. The membership there has been well used. 2 hours of babysitting a day. Great pools and just all around good fun.

4th of July.
It rained and then drizzled,
but we had fun playing corn hole and lighting fireworks in the wet.

Just before vacation we decided to take care of the upstairs bathroom that was leaking down into the downstair's bathroom and it became a MUCH bigger mess then we had intended. So we are in the process of slowly putting that all back together. 8 people in 1 bathroom calls for a whole lot of fun.

We had a great time on vacation. Visiting with wonderful friends and seeing just about all the family that we have.

This is Lydea with Karl's dad, his sister Nancy, and Bill's baby Quicken

Grandpa Karl with our family.

We stopped in Kemerer WY. Karl's Great Grandpa Chandler worked here for a while. It was closed so we didn't get to go in, but it was fun to see.

I thought that I had more pictures on here, but I'll have to find them and post them some other time. Sorry about the overload, but I just wanted to get it all done.

Happy Birthday Haylee and Karl

I think it's funny to see my kids next to other kids their age. Both girls on the sides of her are within months of her age.

Really, it looks chilly, but it was a warm humid day so it wasn't too bad. The girl's all had fun. After we went to Baskin Robins for their $1 scoop night. She had a fun birthday!

Karl's birthday wasn't all that bad either. Brownies instead of cake and then the kids and I got him a popcorn pan. Thursday we went to Harry Potter 6. Which he wasn't all that impressed with, but it was still fun.

I had all the candles on and I looked over and Zach was nicely pulling them all out and putting them back in. He's so naughty, but we love him.

BobChuck -- Chapter II, What Came After

What are the games like?
“Chess is easy. It’s this board with squares – “
You don’t have to talk, Chuck interrupted. I can read your mind.
Bob paused, “Can you read – “
Anyone’s mind? Yes.
“Wow.” Bob paused. “What am I thinking – ?”
Right now? You’re wondering if I can tell you what your mother is thinking. I can, but it’s against the rules of the project. If I tell you what anyone else is thinking, I fail.
“Bummer. That would have been cool.” Bob always wondered what grown-ups were thinking. “You want me to think at you? I’d rather just talk.” Bob placed both palms to his forehead and massaged, careful not to dislodge the Kleenex still dangling from his nose. “This is too weird.”
You will get used to it. Try it. Explain chess. Don’t use words.
Bob sat down. He hunched over and breathed deeply. Closing his eyes, he ran his fingers into his hair and pulled the image of a chessboard to the front of his mind. He carefully added each piece starting with the white rooks and ending with the black pawns. Finished, he sat back and relaxed.
See. Easy. You’ll get better at it. You’re still trying to think it the way you would speak it. Here, someday you’ll do it like this. A chess board and its complements abruptly filled Bob’s mind.
Bob laughed, “You didn’t tell me there were shortcuts.”
Sorry. Now you know. Show me how to play.
“Awesome!” Bob grinned, “watch this!” Sitting up straight, he launched his mind into images of his favorite openings and the various counter strategies. He played white. Pawn forward so the bishop can exit. How would Chuck counter? Projecting Chuck’s shimmer on the other side of the board, Bob’s mind exploded into sound and color. Reeling and retching, he fell backwards onto the floor. His chest heaved with effort to comprehend, and he ripped his eyes open. “Chuck,” he coughed, “what just happened?”
Silence. The shimmer flickered in and out of substance. “Chuck! Chuck! Come back! What happened? Chuuuuuuuuuck!”
What did you do? Chuck’s thoughts floated to Bob from a distance. Don’t do it again.
“I tried to see you in my mind. I tried to put your shimmer on the other side of the chess board, and then everything just fell apart. What do you think it was, Chuck? What happened to you?
I was everywhere and all-time, like they said I would be when I Traveled. I was everywhere, but I was concentrating on you. Then you pulled me toward you, out of everywhere. For a second I was nowhere. Then you let go and I am everywhere again, concentrating on you. Just a minute. I’ll ask.
“What? What are you talking about?” asked Bob. “Who are you going to ask?” Emptiness. No shimmer. No thoughts. No Chuck. “Nuts!” Bob lay there looking at the ceiling fan. It circled with his thoughts, always arriving at the same point. “What the crazy is going on?” No answer. Exhausted, his head lolled to the right. The chair he had used to get the comics was on its side, under the light switch. Blood spattered the lower bookshelves, making Bob remember his nose. It didn’t hurt anymore. Comics, his favorite comics, spread helter-skelter, covered in red specks. Of course he had bled on his comics. “Dang it!” he shouted. “I said, WHAT IS GOING ON?”
The door sprang open, hitting the chair. Busy with his thoughts, he hadn’t noticed his mother’s footsteps in the hall.
“Bob? Bobby! Are you Ok? Open the door please. What have you been doing? Why didn’t you answer when I called?”
“Nothing's wrong.” He sat up and pushed the chair away from the door. “I was trying to get my comics when I fell. I got a bloody nose, see?” He slipped the tissue out of his nose for proof. “Then I read for a while. That’s all. I have a headache,” he finished, his voice barely audible. “I feel really weird.”
Mom paused before she responded. “You know what works best when you have a headache, right?” She was worried. He looked pale.
“Yeah.” His tongue labored to form the words. “You always say I’m dehydrated, to get a drink of water and lay down.” He paused. “I don’t need a drink, but I’m going to lie down.” He couldn’t help but notice how closely she watched him. “What?”
“You look really pale, Bobby. Is it just the headache?” she knelt and cradled his head in her arms. She smelled so safe.
Bob opened his mouth to tell her everything. “Yeah,” was all that came out. What if he was crazy? Hadn’t Chuck said he’d be right back? ”It’s just the headache. I’ll be fine.”
Bob’s mom was still worried. “Are you sure?” Standing up, she surveyed his room. “Bob honey, don’t worry about the mess. Just get some rest.” Then her eyes caught something unexpected and she changed her mind. “You know what, Bob? You can get the comics later, but I’ll get the chess right now. You don’t want to lose any of dad’s pieces.” She stepped over to his left and stooped to gather the men, starting, as he had, with the white rook. Working quickly, it didn’t take her long to pack everything away and chivvy him into bed. Bob lay silently dumbfounded. How had it happened? Mom must be really worried. He didn’t even get in trouble. She left, taking the heirloom chess set and closing the door. Bob surged out of bed with the click of the latch. His fingers instantly sought his hair. How had his father’s chess set come to be in his room? And who had set up the pieces?