Ryon

These photos catch the Ryon who loves to dress up and pose for the camera, with his big cheesy grin and super wide smile. He's constantly in the companionship of at least one if not all four of his older brothers. For Ryon, being the youngest definitely has its perks! As I browsed my photos, I noticed him watching A LOT! He's just soaking up life as fast as it comes at him. Because he's the youngest he gets to experience so many of life's adventures years before my older children got to...he's just a perfectly great sport! Today he came into the house bleeding, and when I asked him if it hurt he said, "I'm not crying":). Meaning, put my cleats on and let me go back outside to run laps around the house in the 110' weather with my brothers.

Savanah

She asked me to put a collage together for her, and I'm glad she did. She's been so busy this school year with homework, young womens, and what ever else it was...that I didn't take many photos of her, except when we were on vacation (and I didn't even realize it). And the photos I had of her were often a scowl or not so flattering... But here's a collage of 12 year old Savanah, the most creative, intelligent, nurturing, kind, confident 12 year old I've ever met!

Nathaniel

NAME CHANGE!

Wii (Aren't) Fit! The new name pretty much sums it up! Friday was the first day of summer vacation. The seven of us had a great day together. We're trying a schedule starting with scripture reading, then there are chores to be done, breakfast, free-time, lunch, reading time (requested by Eli- at least 1 hour uninterrupted (by chores)), swim time, then EXERCISE time!! The kids pulled up some exercise mats (that have only been used as sleeping pads while camping). We turned on the Wii Fit (what a funny name!) and vowed not to quit until our 30 minutes was up. And now 2 days later my calves are still extremely sore, still feeling like they are gnarled tree trunks. But I'm not giving up and 30 minutes of exercise will be included in every weekday of our summer schedule...unless it's not:). I wish I had a more consistent personality...schedules continue to evade me.

When CAN you have a Mohawk, if not when you're 5? Andrew welcomed in summer with a new do. Savanah and Nathaniel are pretty sure people will think he has no religion if we let him keep it! (Why does that make me laugh? They are such great kids!) It doesn't help that he's been sick for 2 days with a fever and is sporting blood shot eyes...looks a bit suspicious!

ANDREW! Watch out kindergarten!

Andrew is passionate about life...

Can you just fast forward 10 years...

So Many Mistakes...So Little Time!

This week has been hectic between school coming to an end, baseball coming to an end (2 team parties at our home coming up), 1 classroom party to plan (Ahhh! That's tomorrow?!), irrigation (missionary football), making cinnamon rolls for my children's wonderful teachers (getting up at 4am to have them done by 7am), awards ceremonies (Great job Savanah, Nathaniel, and Zach! Savanah received what we are calling the diplomacy award and the presidential academic excellence award...and Zach and Nathaniel received great honors for straight A's and physical fitness AND they were never tardy this year!!!! WOW!! Last year they were tardy like 35 times, what an improvement! And all on their own!). So, amidst all that we ran out of bread, so I pulled out the wheat grinder, and Bosch and got to work (multitasking, of course). And well, the first 6 loaves came out great, but then I determined I should make 6 more so we wouldn't run out this week. I was switching off between running outside to water my flower beds, and grinding wheat in the kitchen. So, I was surprised (shocked might be the right word) when I ran back into the house about the 5th time and the wheat grinder was exhaling enormous quantities of freshly ground wheat flour into the air and onto the counters. It resembled a perfectly functioning snow blower. I don't know when it started to exhale the fine white stuff, but it was long before I entered the house. There is still a fine layer of wheat dust just about everywhere...and just in time for company! So little time...so many mistakes to be made!

It's That Time Again!

Swimming season! We're hot, hot, hot! It's over 100' degrees everyday now. The water is about 85', and it's summer time! My older kids swim after school everyday and I've been taking Ry and Andrew swimming every day (for only like 15 minutes because I'm so fair skinned) but I'm so ready for summer break! The kids start their summer vacation on Thursday, I like school vacations even more now than I did when I was in school! It's only a matter of weeks before my children could pass for Mexicans, but then they won't get burned all summer long...

Solar Oven Cooking~Yummy!

"Is it as hot as the sun"...Andrew asked me just after it was set up. I've been using my solar oven/recycled science fair project boards to make dinner lately. Taco soup is on the menu tonight. Yesterday I made corn bread and Friday I made some more beans...Savanah's friend was over and poor thing doesn't even like beans...even the normal way (can't blame her...I used to hate them, too). And she loved our solar oven beans...now that's impressive (she actually ate them). The solar oven does an impressive job of cooking and keeping the heat out of our home. Looks a bit slum-like, but I still like it! If only I had known BEFORE I bought the Viking 10 burner stove...the prices aren't even comparable, much like the heat of the solar oven compared to the sun...sorry Andrew.

Ahhhhh!

I love nature (being outside). From whenever I get up until about 9am our weather is PERFECT right now! This morning I've been putsing around the yard, looking at new poppies (so many varieties...4 pedals, red, pink, mauve), tomatoes (still green), corn (not ready, yet), cabbage (when should we put it in a stir-fry...soon!), Ry put on some work gloves to pose for a photo of himself in his p.j.'s, and Zach, Andrew and Ry all pulled out the rest of the first row of carrots, eating them quickly before the older boys headed for school on their bikes. My little slice of paradise! And Ryon found a great find this morning! This beauty! I think we dug up it's gigantic cacoon in the garden last fall when we were harvesting sweet potatoes, but we didn't know what it was...food for thought (or the chickens:). God is so amazing in his diverse creations!

Coming to an End

Zach is in the back row second from the right. He played for the Dodgers this year, pretty much always at first base (meaning the best player on his team). This was the first year he was able to play with his two best buddies, which not only made it fun, but a very successful team, too. Zach's coach is a professional photographer and took the individual photos with something called a ring flash, which was really amazing...think natural sun...and seeing rings for a long long time!

Testimonies?!

Our Zach will be turning 8 years old in June, and I'd like to make a book for him with testimonies from his family, friends (friends of the family), teachers (Sister Chanlder & Ms. Steiner), and the bishop. So, if you fall into any of those categories...please send me your testimony! I'd like to have the book done at his baptism, so if you could get it to me before July 11th, I'd really appreciate it! THANKS! And a personal invitation for testimonies from: My Mom & Dad, Jan & Kirk, Randy & MaryBeth, Jen & Todd, Grandma & Grandpa Skinner, Lacy & Joe, Lillie & Ross, Savanah, Eli, Nathaniel, Ryon, any Great Aunts or Uncles... Thanks everyone!

OH! And you're more than welcome to come to the baptism... It is July 11th, call me for the time and place!

Sentimental...

When I was a teenager...(it's getting to be so long ago now...) I would sit and play the piano, plunking out odd tunes I had memorized and rearranging them. My mom would yell comments from the other room about how impressed she was with my piano playing (to which I would probably roll my eyes...personally being totally unimpressed with my talent). She'd claim things like I could play songs from the radio by ear...a complete falsehood, and rather embarrassing, because it wasn't true. But she loved to hear me play the huge upright grand piano in the formal parlor. And well...now I know exactly how she felt! Savanah sits and plays beautiful songs (pieces she has composed and hears in her head first...pieces of classical music I've played from cd's since she was a little girl, just hears it and then reproduces it!). I love it when she sits down and plays. She plays the pieces that I played when I was a girl...she mastered all those plunker songs a few years ago, and I'm sure part of the concert she gives is almost identical to mine (when I was a teenager), with some amazing key changes and harmonies thrown in, and then the majority of the concert is all her. She sings harmony too...to everything, in FHE she is constantly harmonizing...it's a little crazy with Eli singing opera...the 2 little boys screaming out the words...and the middle two boys trying to literally bounce off the walls, and Ryon and I trying to hear the melody...and yet the harmony comes through loud and clear and beautiful. She is first chair in orchestra where she has mastered the violin. She can also play by ear on the violin. An amazing talent to me. I've asked her...how do you know what key it's in...her reply, "it's in the key of D". Not quite the answer I was looking for, but her little ears just know, whether it's on the piano or the violin. And lately she's been playing to release stress...is that just a mother's dream? A daughter who plays instruments for hours when her life gets overwhelming. Today a mother was telling me she's been telling her son to keep an eye out for Savanah when he gets home from his mission and then listed for me about the top 20 wonderful qualities that Savanah has. I felt a ting or twitch of "Ahh she's mine!" And then a realization that my little girl has become such a beautiful young woman, organized, loving, caring, intelligent, helpful, capable, and so many other non-one-word descriptions. I'm so grateful I have a girl...and five boys, what a great blessing!

To Each His Own!

I was working in the kitchen and look over to see this! Ry Guy had unraveled an enormous cinnamon roll (the ones I had made yesterday...Ryon says they are big enough to be a meal...that means something coming from him!) And Ry was dipping his into his cup of milk, all one an a half feet of it! It was so funny! No wonder the first thing he asked for, even before he even got the cinnamon roll was a napkin!

Hhmmm....

I just wanted to give you a glimpse of some of the sunflowers with their seeds forming, they are getting really heavy and their heads are hanging low...more food for the chickens:)
What is this pink flower? It is on one stem and looks like a bunch of miniature carnations. But I don't know what it's called.

Red poppies are my favorite, but this certain kind has the green center, and I prefer the purple/black center ones. (Do I have more opinions when I'm tired?)

My Saturday was shot before it got started! We went to some friends to play cards last night and didn't get home and into bed until 1am and then I was up at 4:50am to make cinnamon rolls, orange rolls, and chocolate chip cookies for the sisters at the Visitors' Center. It was fun...but now it's almost 5pm and making dinner sounds so laborious (as if it doesn't most nights), and my brain isn't thinking straight, the sleep thought comes between every other thought. I'm grateful tomorrow is fast Sunday...so I don't have to feed anyone:)...is that the wrong reason to be grateful for it?

Sleeping Positions And Carrots!

Ry Guy used to fall asleep in the oddest places (last year's baseball season?)...then time passed and he got into the habit of sleeping in his own bed. But with baseball season and the "new and improved" drop dead time of 10pm for majors!!! Recently his little 3 year old body just drops dead in some different places. One night he ended up sleeping on Nathaniel's loft, sideways with his filthy little feet in mid-air, another night he just got off the bar stool he had been eating on, wrapped himself in a blanket, and just laid down on the concrete floor and feel right to sleep.

Andrew is holding carrots we pulled up today, they aren't very big, but they sure taste great!