Happy Father's Day!

Today as we honor the fathers in our lives I feel so blessed and thankful for the fathers that have influenced my life. I'm thankful for my dad. I appreciate all the sacrifices he has made throughout my life to provide, teach, and guide me. I am thankful for his love and kindness. I am grateful for The wonderful, loving father Nathan is to our children. I'm grateful for his desire to spend time, teach, and guide our children. I also want to thank my Grandpa Swain, Grandpa Hendricks, Grandpa Rader, and my father-in-law Brett for being loving hard working dads. Happy Father's Day.

Boy Scout Camp

Eldon went to Boy Scout camp last week. It was strange having him gone for a week. For the first two days Bella walked around looking for him. Our stake offer the kids an opportunity to earn money during Mardi Gras to pay for camp. I am thankful for the lesson he has been able to learn of working to earn the last 2 years.

He told me he had a great time, and is already talking about what he will get to do when he goes back next summer. He earned his small sail boat certificate, which he was most excited to talk about.

 It rained the first few days they were there and the boys all had fun playing in the rain and mud.

 After he showered and got all his stinky laundry unpacked he took a long nap. We are glad to have him home.

*I would like to thank Brother Tapia for the pictures. 

Gratitude, Home, Family, Love

This morning I definitely woke up on "the wrong side of the bed". My two littles were up even earlier than normal after waking up twice in the sleeping hours. I felt tired and overwhelmed with the start of this early day. Poor Nathan was trying to make me feel better and all I could do was wallow in my tiredness. After getting Jaxon and Bella breakfast, Nathan left for school, and before Lizzi, Rusty, and Gavin woke up, I sat down and pulled up the Mormon Channel on my phone. I came across this message and was thankful for it. It helped me feel more motivated to have a good day. Then the older kids woke up and I went about getting them breakfast and the chore chart changed, and then I had a chance to say my morning prayer, sit down, eat breakfast and look through this months Ensign. I read a quote by President Thomas S. Monson, it helped me fell at peace and I know that I can make this day better than I had let it begin.
"When we have sampled much and have wandered far and have seen how fleeting and sometimes superficial a lot of the world is, our gratitude grows for the privilege of being part of something we can count on-home and family and the loyalty of loved ones. We come to know what it means to be bound together by duty, by respect, by belonging. We learn that nothing can fully take the place of the blessed relationship of family life... "Brethren, let's treat our wives with dignity and with respect. They're our eternal companions. Sisters, honor your husbands. They need to hear a good word. They need a friendly smile. They need a warm expression of true love." -President Thomas S. Monson

The Record Shop

A few months ago Nathan and I opend a little record shop with one of his fire fighter friends. The records started out as something he bought here and there at garage sales when he found something he liked for cheap. Soon people were selling him boxes full of records for cheap and they weren't always ones that we necessarily would listen to. Then there were people who wanted to get rid of broken record players so when we would find one for cheap that needed fixing, we would buy it and fix it. Soon we had more records and players than we needed and sold a few online. When word started to get around we had people calling us to come pick up for free or cheap their old records & players. So I had a house full of records and players. Nathan and his friend like to visit this flea market in Lacombe. The people there got to know them and one day Nathan talked to the owner and worked out a great deal on a shop space there. The record shop was born. It was quite a mess so we cleaned it up, painted it, and organized the records. Its a fun little hobby business right now. We have enjoyed meeting people and learning that you can never guess what kind of music someone might pick out. Our kids have fun trying to sell the toys and things they no longer use to people in the front and side of the shop. They get to keep whatever money they earn. We've also made a rule that they are only allowed to buy from the other shops with the money that they earn from selling while they are there. This helps keep the amount of things coming home to a minimum.

"Easy Cresent Taco Pie"

I came across this recipe the other day and thought that it sounded yummy. Since I had the ingredients to make it we tired it the other night. With 8 of us I made two. I'm sure glad that I did because there was only one slice left (which was devoured the next day) when dinner was over.
A few things I added were garlic powder and salt to taste, and I added a bit more taco seasoning than it called for because I used about 1 1/4 lbs. of beef for each rather than the 1lb. it calls for. I also didn't use the brands it calls for in the recipe, I used what I had on hand.  It was fun using the lettuce from my own garden. I can't wait to use my home grown tomatoes next time too. We will definitely be having this for dinner again.

1 can refrigerated crescent dinner rolls                        
1 lb lean (at least 80%) ground beef                        
3/4 cup salsa                        
2 tablespoons taco seasoning mix                       
1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese (4 oz)                 
Shredded lettuce, as desired                        
Diced tomato, as desired
1. Heat oven to 375°F. Unroll dough; separate into 8 triangles. Place in ungreased 9-inch square pan or 10-inch pie plate; press over bottom and up sides to form crust.                           
2. In 10-inch skillet, cook beef over medium heat 8 to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until thoroughly cooked; drain. Stir in salsa and taco seasoning mix; simmer 5 minutes. Spoon meat mixture in crust-lined pan; sprinkle with cheese.                           
3. Bake 14 to 17 minutes or until crust is deep golden brown and cheese is melted. Served topped with lettuce and tomato.

Summer Break Part 1

My kids have been out of school for a week. I love having my kids home. By no means am I saying that life is perfect when 6 kids are home 24/7. Things are messier, the laundry schedule I normally keep gets backed up, and bed time schedule is sometimes not found. I love it though, having freedom from schedules other than my own.

We stay busy with things that we enjoy. We take breaks when I want, we get dressed for the day on our own time. We spend some days just reading or enjoying oldie but goodie movies. One of our favorite weekly activities is going to the library to find the great books and movies we enjoy all summer. The little kids love it because they enjoy story and craft time while we're there and the older kids get to spend some time on their own looking at books of their interest.

 The weather has been pretty great this last week. We have spent a lot of time outside enjoying the sunshine. Summer wouldn't be the same without enjoying a cool treat outside on a warm day. The kids love playing in the water most of all when they're outside. We are blessed to have a big yard for the kids to roam, explore, find interesting things of nature, and an awesome swing set. We've had a great time with friends and hope for mores days with them.

 



With fun comes responsibility. We've burned our yard pile, pulled weeds, worked in my garden, mowed the lawn (the kids find this more fun since they get to ride in the trailer on the John Deere). I'm excited to enjoy more of the fruits of my labor in my garden the tomatoes and cantaloupe are growing, and the lettuce has gone crazy. It's so exciting for me to have fresh lettuce for salads and sandwiches. I will definitely be looking for more things to plant as the seasons change.

I have to say I think we've all been pretty pleased with summer break so far. We look forward to the many adventures to come this summer.

 

Happy 6th Birthday Gavin

Happy Birthday Gavin! You had a great first year of school, and now you are 6 and headed on to 1st grade. You're our little guy with a big personality. You tell great stories, you love to tell them to adults and are able to keep their interest very well. You have an amazing imagination. You have a tender heart and we love that about you. I wasn't the only one who adored your freckles this year, some of the girls on the playground found them adorable too. You like to dance and listen to music. You love playing outside and digging in the dirt. You are a sweet kid and we love you so much. We are blessed to have you in our family. I can't wait to hear the stories you tell this year.

*for some reason I didn't schedule this to post correctly, so its a few days late.