Books I read/listened to with the kids:
*The Beatinest Boy- Jesse Stuart
*The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn- Mark Twain
*Heidi- Johanna Spyri
*James and the Giant Peach- Rhod Dahl
*Boxcar Children:Snowbound Mystery- Gertrude Chandler Warner
*Nancy Drew:Ghost of Grey Fox Inn- Carolynn Keane
*Nancy Drew: Black Creek Farm- Carolyn Keane
*Tuttle Twins:Show Business- Connor Boyack
*The Penderwicks at Point Mouette- Jeanne Birdsall
*Greek Heroes-Percy Jackson
*Danny, Champion of the World- Rhod Dahl
*The Family Under the Bridge- Natalie Savage Carlson
Books I Read:
*Homeschooling for Success- Rebecca Kochendrefer and Elizabeth Kanna
*The Garden of Small Beginnings- Abbie Waxman
*Home Waters- George B. Handley
*My Not So Fairly Tale Life- Julie Wright
*Sweet Mercy- Donald Smurthwaite
*I'm sorry...Love Your Husband- Clint Edwards
*My Life as a Wannabe Balanced Mom- Crystal Escobar
*The Tapping Solution- Nick Ortner (only read half)
*The Read Aloud Family- Sarah Mackenzie
*The Egg and I- Betty MacDonald
*The Vaccine Friendly Plan- Jennifer Margulis and Paul Thomas
*The Entitlement Trap- Richard and Linda Eyre (re-read)
*The Lost Letter- Julian Cantor
*To Kill A Mockingbird- Harper Lee (re-read)
*The Minimal Home- Joshua Becker
*The Happiness Paradigm- Richard Eyre
*The Enchanted Hour- Meghan Cox Gurden
*The Dirt Cure- Maya Shetret-Klein
*Chasing Cupcakes- Elizabeth Benton
*Lilac Girls- Martha Hall Kelley
*The River Between Us- Richard Peck
*The Brave Learner- Julie Bogart
*5 Step Lifestyle Detox- Katie Wells
*Introverted Mom- Jennifer Martin
*Tattoist of Auschwtiz- Heather Morris
*The Good Neighbor- Maxwell King
*The Christmas Story- Jean Shepherd
*The Invincible Louisa- Cornelia Meigs
Tuesday, December 31, 2019
Thursday, December 5, 2019
Thanksgiving 2019
Day 1: Richie had to stay for work, so the kids and I went down early Sunday morning to be there for Henry's farewell. (Can't believe I didn't get a picture!) We got settled in, saw Mom's completed art cottage (She loves it, I love it. Maybe one day I could have a writing cottage?), Dad and Miles played games, and the next morning the kids were in Heaven with Eggo's and a TV at breakfast!
Day 2: We went to the Jubilee of Trees with Mom, specifically to see her artwork at one of the shop fronts. She's volunteered here for quite a few year now, and of course, her work is impeccable. The kids had fun seeing all the trees, getting a treat, and being first in line to see Santa! All of our morning excursions this trip, Davy stayed at G&G's napping. It made is SO handy always having a grandparent available to be with him. Outings without a baby is much easier. Then we stopped at Great Grandma's to say hi and get an ice cream sandwich. :) It was short but sweet. Mom also gave them at least 2 art lessons while we were there. I'm so grateful. I'm always a little jealous that the SG grandkids get regular art lessons with her, so I'm always tickled pink when they get to participate. Miles got a little down on himself for not being as good of an artist as Grandma. (I used to do the same thing) Luckily, he came back and grandma showed him how to draw portraits, which greatly improved his confidence. :)
Day 3:I took the 4 oldest to hike "the crack". :) We also explored their conservation garden up there (very cool) and made a stop at the Dixie rock, of course. It was so fun, and cause a little anxiety what with the complete drop off and a Benson to keep an eye on. But mostly awesome. Then we cruised the "vard" for another SG classic, "Larsen's Frost Top". It's just as run down and yummy as I remember. My favorite part being that they don't serve you ketchup. Ketchup you have to ask for. Fry Sauce on the other hand, is a given. And they give you lots of it. :) We met my friend Sam and her daughter Jo there. It was so fun to catch up for a bit. And get a glacier. That too. :) Later on that day, Benson, Davy and I went on a walk around the block while Grandma was doing an art lesson with the older 3. He stopped at this puddle and put things in it for about 30 minutes. :) That night the older 4 got to sleepover at the Lamb's! I loved getting to chat with Chris and A for a bit.
Day 4: We spent some time at the awesome dinosaur park with cousins, then Grandpa took all of the grandkids out to Wendy's! :) Richie got into town later on in the day, so all was right in the world.
Day 5: Actual Thanksgiving. We were celebrating with the extended Crosby side on Friday, so Thursday was full of white space. We filled it by "hiking" around, and driving through Snow Canyon. One of the prettiest places on earth. It was pretty cold and rainy, so we didn't last long. Gwen was particularly upset about it. :) It made for a really good memory. Later that day we went bowling with Jenn, Mike, Taysom and Henry. THey were exceptionally generous and bought us tokens/credit at the arcade, which is always a hit with the kids. That night, Lindy helped Grandma make scrambled eggs for dinner. Grandma's scrambled eggs are always so good. It was another precious memory for me.
Day 6: Friday Thanksgiving with the extended Crosby side! Jenn and Mike pulled this all together even with their hectic lives and it was awesome! Our family sang "Give Thanks" by Cori Connors. We really loved learning this song throughout the month, and I was really proud of my kids for singing in front of everyone. We ate lots, played 9 square, there was a movie going on in the nursery. One of my favorite moments was when Davy was tired and super cranky and I was wandering the halls, just biding my time and getting frustrated. Then Gwen popped out of the bathroom, saw me and said, "Hey Mom! Can I take Davy into the nursery?" What a life saver! She kept him there and happy the rest of the time. Amazing! Another favorite moment was during the clean up, being in the kitchen with mostly Jenn and A, and just being in awe of their awesomeness. They were cleaning up ninjas, all while discussing logistics for multiple events happening. They are just the best. It made me proud to be related to them. That night was the grandkid's sleepover! Luckily some of the older grandkids came, so they were able to help with Davy and Benson while all the adult siblings plus Dad, went and saw the new Mr. Rogers movie. It was amazing!
Day 7: The Grandkids sleepover is the highlight of the year. Really. My mom goes all out. She says this is her last one, that she's getting to old and tired to keep doing it. I'm grateful for the ones my kids have been able to attend. I hope they never forget how much they are loved! The theme this year was "Indians". Mom made sure they knew they were descended from people on the Mayflower and also some of the Indians we read about in the Thanksgiving literature-Massasoit and Quataquina (not sure if those are spelled correctly) She had them all sleep in teepees in the front room. Then the next day they made dream catchers, had a turkey shoot (with homemade bows and arrows she and Grandpa made, with Richie being the turkey) and they hiked to see petroglyphs in Bloomington. They were fed pizza, and then played Apples to Apples until it was time to go. Mom wanted everyone to bring some warm clothing to be donated to the Paiute tribe up near Cove Fort. We brought a few things, but she made almost 50 hats! Crocheted them all! Because there were so many, at the end she agreed to let all the grandkids pick one. :) We were ready to hit the road then. Gwen was nearly inconsolable from lack of sleep and sadness that our time in SG was ending. We tried to soften the blow by making a last stop at the Dinosaur park so that I could meet up with a high school friend and her family (Jenny Chivers Bowler) and we had a good time talking there before hitting the road. Another successful SG trip in the books. I always miss my family, but for some reason lately it just felt very heavy. It was so good for my soul to get down there. :)
Day 2: We went to the Jubilee of Trees with Mom, specifically to see her artwork at one of the shop fronts. She's volunteered here for quite a few year now, and of course, her work is impeccable. The kids had fun seeing all the trees, getting a treat, and being first in line to see Santa! All of our morning excursions this trip, Davy stayed at G&G's napping. It made is SO handy always having a grandparent available to be with him. Outings without a baby is much easier. Then we stopped at Great Grandma's to say hi and get an ice cream sandwich. :) It was short but sweet. Mom also gave them at least 2 art lessons while we were there. I'm so grateful. I'm always a little jealous that the SG grandkids get regular art lessons with her, so I'm always tickled pink when they get to participate. Miles got a little down on himself for not being as good of an artist as Grandma. (I used to do the same thing) Luckily, he came back and grandma showed him how to draw portraits, which greatly improved his confidence. :)
Day 3:I took the 4 oldest to hike "the crack". :) We also explored their conservation garden up there (very cool) and made a stop at the Dixie rock, of course. It was so fun, and cause a little anxiety what with the complete drop off and a Benson to keep an eye on. But mostly awesome. Then we cruised the "vard" for another SG classic, "Larsen's Frost Top". It's just as run down and yummy as I remember. My favorite part being that they don't serve you ketchup. Ketchup you have to ask for. Fry Sauce on the other hand, is a given. And they give you lots of it. :) We met my friend Sam and her daughter Jo there. It was so fun to catch up for a bit. And get a glacier. That too. :) Later on that day, Benson, Davy and I went on a walk around the block while Grandma was doing an art lesson with the older 3. He stopped at this puddle and put things in it for about 30 minutes. :) That night the older 4 got to sleepover at the Lamb's! I loved getting to chat with Chris and A for a bit.
Day 4: We spent some time at the awesome dinosaur park with cousins, then Grandpa took all of the grandkids out to Wendy's! :) Richie got into town later on in the day, so all was right in the world.
Day 5: Actual Thanksgiving. We were celebrating with the extended Crosby side on Friday, so Thursday was full of white space. We filled it by "hiking" around, and driving through Snow Canyon. One of the prettiest places on earth. It was pretty cold and rainy, so we didn't last long. Gwen was particularly upset about it. :) It made for a really good memory. Later that day we went bowling with Jenn, Mike, Taysom and Henry. THey were exceptionally generous and bought us tokens/credit at the arcade, which is always a hit with the kids. That night, Lindy helped Grandma make scrambled eggs for dinner. Grandma's scrambled eggs are always so good. It was another precious memory for me.
Day 6: Friday Thanksgiving with the extended Crosby side! Jenn and Mike pulled this all together even with their hectic lives and it was awesome! Our family sang "Give Thanks" by Cori Connors. We really loved learning this song throughout the month, and I was really proud of my kids for singing in front of everyone. We ate lots, played 9 square, there was a movie going on in the nursery. One of my favorite moments was when Davy was tired and super cranky and I was wandering the halls, just biding my time and getting frustrated. Then Gwen popped out of the bathroom, saw me and said, "Hey Mom! Can I take Davy into the nursery?" What a life saver! She kept him there and happy the rest of the time. Amazing! Another favorite moment was during the clean up, being in the kitchen with mostly Jenn and A, and just being in awe of their awesomeness. They were cleaning up ninjas, all while discussing logistics for multiple events happening. They are just the best. It made me proud to be related to them. That night was the grandkid's sleepover! Luckily some of the older grandkids came, so they were able to help with Davy and Benson while all the adult siblings plus Dad, went and saw the new Mr. Rogers movie. It was amazing!
Day 7: The Grandkids sleepover is the highlight of the year. Really. My mom goes all out. She says this is her last one, that she's getting to old and tired to keep doing it. I'm grateful for the ones my kids have been able to attend. I hope they never forget how much they are loved! The theme this year was "Indians". Mom made sure they knew they were descended from people on the Mayflower and also some of the Indians we read about in the Thanksgiving literature-Massasoit and Quataquina (not sure if those are spelled correctly) She had them all sleep in teepees in the front room. Then the next day they made dream catchers, had a turkey shoot (with homemade bows and arrows she and Grandpa made, with Richie being the turkey) and they hiked to see petroglyphs in Bloomington. They were fed pizza, and then played Apples to Apples until it was time to go. Mom wanted everyone to bring some warm clothing to be donated to the Paiute tribe up near Cove Fort. We brought a few things, but she made almost 50 hats! Crocheted them all! Because there were so many, at the end she agreed to let all the grandkids pick one. :) We were ready to hit the road then. Gwen was nearly inconsolable from lack of sleep and sadness that our time in SG was ending. We tried to soften the blow by making a last stop at the Dinosaur park so that I could meet up with a high school friend and her family (Jenny Chivers Bowler) and we had a good time talking there before hitting the road. Another successful SG trip in the books. I always miss my family, but for some reason lately it just felt very heavy. It was so good for my soul to get down there. :)
Wednesday, December 4, 2019
Second Half of November
The view from my front door is okay, I guess. Love my neighbor's tree.
Trying to keep the kids entertained and out of the house while others work on home remodels. :) Up in the tree house in the gully by Grandma and Grandpa's and venturing out on a cold evening to burn off energy at the park.
More home renovations. Really, that feels like all our life has been the last little while. We have been tremendously blessed with people wanting to help us. Aunt Makenna took the kids overnight and one whole day while we worked, Uncle Ian came down twice for 2 long nights, Mom and Dad Garner have probably put in just as many hours as we have between actual remodel work and babysitting, our friend's the Andersons brought us dinner one night and then we let the kids play while they helped, and most recently Richie's old college roommate Scott Tanner came and helped most of a Saturday. Richie was nearing his wit's end with all of this chaos-but it's pretty much impossible to be unhappy around Scottie. He had Richie laughing at frustrations almost the second he walked through the door. I am beyond grateful. :)
Davy Cuteness
Homeschool group day- Discussing gratitude and a turkey shoot :) which Benson in particular got into.
We got our annual Christmas shoebox shopping done! This year, the kids paid for everything themselves. Proud mama right here. They each earned about $20 from selling pumpkins this fall. So I told them that if they wanted to spend more, it would have to come from their spending account. I think they all went slightly over, so their boxes would be nice and full. I loved seeing how thoughtfully they picked out each gift, and how carefully they kept track of how much they'd spent. Benson was distraught every time we reminded him that these toys were going to someone else. He'll understand more next year. :) The kids can't wait to find out where their boxes will end up this year! Every year we've done it, they've gone to Mexico.
Trying to keep the kids entertained and out of the house while others work on home remodels. :) Up in the tree house in the gully by Grandma and Grandpa's and venturing out on a cold evening to burn off energy at the park.
More home renovations. Really, that feels like all our life has been the last little while. We have been tremendously blessed with people wanting to help us. Aunt Makenna took the kids overnight and one whole day while we worked, Uncle Ian came down twice for 2 long nights, Mom and Dad Garner have probably put in just as many hours as we have between actual remodel work and babysitting, our friend's the Andersons brought us dinner one night and then we let the kids play while they helped, and most recently Richie's old college roommate Scott Tanner came and helped most of a Saturday. Richie was nearing his wit's end with all of this chaos-but it's pretty much impossible to be unhappy around Scottie. He had Richie laughing at frustrations almost the second he walked through the door. I am beyond grateful. :)
Davy Cuteness
Homeschool group day- Discussing gratitude and a turkey shoot :) which Benson in particular got into.
We got our annual Christmas shoebox shopping done! This year, the kids paid for everything themselves. Proud mama right here. They each earned about $20 from selling pumpkins this fall. So I told them that if they wanted to spend more, it would have to come from their spending account. I think they all went slightly over, so their boxes would be nice and full. I loved seeing how thoughtfully they picked out each gift, and how carefully they kept track of how much they'd spent. Benson was distraught every time we reminded him that these toys were going to someone else. He'll understand more next year. :) The kids can't wait to find out where their boxes will end up this year! Every year we've done it, they've gone to Mexico.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
September 2022
Benson turns 6! He requested a chocolate and strawberry cake where candy spills out of it. :) We went swimming at the rec center, Gwen made ...
-
It's true, we're expecting #2!! FAQ's *How are you feeling?- Pretty good! This pregnancy has been harder than Miles' so far... -
I don't know if I'm mentally capable at this point to process what's really going on! :) I can't believe we are a family of ...