Together Again

There is only one week left until school starts. I feel both ready, and not. I am ready for the season to change from summer to fall, but I operate quite nicely with the non-routine days of summer. I do not mind a schedule, and routine, and I look forward to some aspects of the kids going back to school, but I will miss the carefree summer days. This summer was especially nice, peaceful, and calm. 

This time of year is always strange, because I feel torn between not wanting summer to end, and wanting school to start. It happens every year, and I am sure it will happen every year that my children are in school. For now, I am just soaking life up one day at a time. But some of these last few super-hot, smoke-filled-sky-days, I could live without. It was so gross there for awhile, I had cabin fever in the summer, because I didn't want to go outside at all. I always feel so much better about life when I can get outside in nature, and especially run. But I do not venture outside when the skies are thick with smoke, it just makes me feel nasty. I tried a few days last week, and I felt gross. 

I have realized how much I love variation in weather. I love it when weather is constantly changing. When it is just hot for weeks on end, it gets to me. I love coolness, fresh air, and even rain. I look forward to some variation coming as the season changes. We desperately need some rain here to clear everything out! Strangely enough, I am even looking forward to snow! 

On to the pictures... 

A few weeks ago, Daniel came home from Scout Camp. He was there all summer, and it was so nice to have him back. The night he returned, everything just seemed right with the world again. He is a "larger than life" kind of presence in our home. We did not mind the quiet while he was gone, that was fine too, but Daniel brings a level of energy into our house, that simply does not exist without him. I think Henry was happy to have his shoulder rides back again. 

Sammi turned 17! She was at Young Women's camp for her birthday, so I decided to make a video of family and friends singing happy birthday to her for when she got home. I might share the video here later. She was SO happy watching the video of loved ones singing to her, I have never seen her so emotional. It was really precious. I sure love my Sammi. This is a picture of her, right before going on a date. She went with a boy from church, and they went to deliver cookies.

 Daniel brought a gift home for Henry. He blew it up himself. All that trumpet playing pays off.

 Henry loved it!

 It was so nice to have all my kiddos back together again!

 Sammi got her buddy back.

 They look a little bit like brothers.

 And William and Sammi have some similarities.

It is fun how in families there can be a strong family look... everyone looks different, with little hints of each other. Another thing I've noticed, is no matter who you hang out with, people tend to pick up mannerisms from those they are around. Family, friends... whoever. So, there is a good reason to choose friends wisely, because you might end up acting and looking like them through mannerisms.

 William has started smiling for pictures. Oh happy day! :)

 I love to see William smile.

 Happy Birthday to Sammi.

We did the upside-down potato head thing, using Henry's chin. It is SO funny to draw a face on a chin, and then have them sing or make faces. I highly recommend it.

 Sleeping beauty.

Megan has been coming over on Sunday nights to sing. It was even more fun having Daniel back for music time with Megan. The first time Daniel heard Megan really go for it he was like, "Dang, girl!" He is in a house full of Altos, and even though Altos are awesome, it is a real treat for us to have a Disney Princess-style soprano in our home, who can actually nail the high notes with ease. I enjoyed laying on the couch in a blanket, while being entertained by high quality music. We are all so grateful for Sammi who can rock out on the piano, and play pretty much any song. We would be lost without her. The three of them were singing together and producing some pretty sweet harmonies.

When Daniel got home, the first thing he wanted to do was paint! I was so surprised that he would actually want to join the painting party, but he did, and he loves it! And he is good too! We have had our paint on the counter the entire summer, and it has been so nice to grab a canvas, and just let out the inner creative beast. It is so satisfying to complete a painting, and then hang it on the wall.

 So cute! And the turtle is pretty cute, too. ;)

While we paint, William builds. He prefers to create by building with his hands. He builds Legos, and K'nex all the time. He has created some pretty awesome things, without using a manual. I love to see all the things that he creates. He has the mind of a builder.

 Sammi and her Robin Hood

 Mary Poppins

When Daniel got home he wanted to sing. The first time he sang, it seemed like he was louder than before he left for Scout Camp. Maybe the fresh mountain air was good for his lungs. When he lets loose with his voice, the house shakes.

Daniel had a 3 day break, and then he was off to Band Bootcamp. He is in the marching band, and they had them out there all day marching in the crazy heat. He said the football coach came over to the band and was like, "Wow, you work these kids really hard!" Marching band really is a sport.

Daniel would come home covered in sweat from head to toe. Some of the days it was over 100 degrees out there. I am excited to see their performances. What I look most forward to is the high school Jazz band performances, last year they were so awesome, and Jazz is my favorite. In order to do the Jazz band, he had to do the Marching band. But he says that he loves it, even though it is crazy. He just loves music. It will be a crazy time for him trying to manage all the music (choirs and bands), but he really wants to try. He only has 3 core classes this year, and everything else will be band and choir.

Henry is learning to read, he is doing well. He will be in first grade this year, and he is very excited.

 
We took a trip to Utah, for my Nan's 95 birthday. It was a fast trip, and we squeezed as much in a short amount of time as possible. The drive between Idaho and Utah is not my favorite trip. I prayed for a little variation this time, and I certainly got it.

As we were coming into the Tremonton area, we could see a fire on the hills in the distance. It was producing a lot of visible flames and billowing smoke.

 And then the smoke got really thick, and a policeman signaled for us to make a detour off of the freeway.

 The sun was going down, and it was getting dark, and the sky was gray and thick.

I followed the rest of the traffic, as we worked our way through a small town. We came to a gravel road with a steep hill, and the semi-trucks were struggling to get up and down. It was a little tense, as we had to squeeze up the hill in between semi-trucks on both sides. I was also very grateful for my GPS system, that verified we were on the right path.

The smoke filled the area like I had never seen before, and I have seen some fires, especially when living in Alaska! It was so thick and nasty, it felt like we were sitting in the middle of a campfire. The picture does not do the smoke justice. I followed this truck all the way to the right exit.

After some time we found our way back on the right roads, and we were off to our destination. And even though it was an altered journey, it was still way more exciting than the normal boring way. So I was grateful for that.

We made it to Utah, and we made it to my Nan's birthday party. That is where we met Baby Joy for the first time! My brother and sister-in-law had their first baby girl, after having four boys. She is as precious as they come, and I wanted to bring her home with me. Here we have Sammi Sunshine and Sarah Joy. Sunshine and Joy together in one place... it doesn't get much better than that.

Me and my Nan. I love her SO much! She is 95 and still wearing her pearls, along with grace and beauty. She is as smart as ever, and the most kind and loving person you will ever meet. Nan = Love.

We all had to "fight" to hold Joy. Daniel seemed to win the fight often. It was so cute to see him loving baby Joy. The woman with the cotton candy is Mindy, Joy's mommy. She made a darn cute child.

 You mess with Joy, you mess with Daniel.

 Me and Sammi.

 This face... she is the kind of baby who actually makes me wish I could have more.

 I tried to steal her as often as possible.

 A couple of cuties!

 Me and my baby brother, Johnny. He is to me, as Daniel is to Sammi.

 I love this guy.

4 generations of women. 

I think, one day, I will enjoy being a grandma. 

They had a big bouncy house for the kids to play in. 

 And Nan provided fun things for the kids.

 Sammi took some pictures from inside of Nan's house...

 Right after the party, we went to see Newsies, at the Hale theater.

It was REALLY good. We all loved it. But our favorite is still The Hunchback of Notre Dame. You can't really compare the two shows, because they are so different. But I would say that Hunchback was far more captivating, in almost every way.

Hooray for the Hale theater! Once again, I would not have even known about the place, had I not been brave enough to drive to Utah months ago, to go on a date. We have been there multiple times since, and my parents will be going often when they move to Utah. Funny thing was, while I was sitting in the foyer, I saw the children and family members of the guy I had gone on a date with. They were out the door and into the parking lot... but still, I could not help but smile.

 And Daniel stole Joy again.

We were there for her baby blessing. My brother Johnny did a beautiful job. He arranged it so Daniel could hold the microphone, so he could be part of the circle, to represent our family. We are all so happy Joy is part of our family! She is such a sweetie!

 We drove back to Idaho with my parents, we could see the aftermath of the fire.

 I ordered myself a few shirts. This is one of my new favorites. I will be wearing it all year round. :)

This is one of my paintings, I think it is my favorite of the ones I've done. I feel like I have to connect with the subject in order to really paint them. And I do connect with Merida. Perhaps it is because my full name is Maridyth... or maybe it is her feisty Scottish ways... or maybe it is her unruly thick hair... or the fact they she actually has a real womanly figure. I dunno, whatever the case, she was fun to paint.

 Henry still pulls out his cups from time to time, and builds with them. He will spend hours and hours building them and knocking them down.

 I think this might be a pumpkin growing? Maybe?

 Our walls are filling up...

Another fun one... 

It reached 109 degrees here in Boise, so we tried to fry and egg, and it worked. 

We ordered most of the kids shirts off of Amazon. They like to have shirts that make a statement. Daniel enjoys funny music shirts... this is a pretty great shirt for him starting high school, don't you think?

Henry lost his first tooth! He has a few more wiggly ones. I love it when kids teeth are missing, I think it adds another element of cuteness.

 Daniel loves this shirt... We love Les Miserables around here.

 Daniel is a very LOUD tenor.

 He is also a huge fan of Barbershop music.

Sammi received her Young Women's medallion. She finished her Personal Progress, and we are so proud of her. She is happy to have her necklace to wear for her senior year. She worked hard, but she also realized that so much of her normal life activities fit into the program, and that is how it is meant to be.

Sammi has had more opportunities lately to stand up and lead, and it has been a pleasure to watch her develop and grow. She spoke last night at the Seminary meeting, as a senior, and she did it note-free, led by the Spirit, and she did awesome. I keep encouraging her to step forward and become the leader she is meant to be. She is full of great ideas and inspiration. She has been a quiet leader all her life, but sometimes, I believe it is important to speak up, and share the power that is inside. Sammi has so much goodness inside to share. I guarantee, one day, Sammi will have a blog of her own to share her thoughts and experiences with the world. She loves to write, and take pictures, perhaps even more than I do!

I have learned, lately, that listening can be powerful, but also, a quiet head-nod can be interpreted as agreement, when that is not what is really felt. Sometimes the right thing to do is listen, and sometimes the right thing to do is speak. Knowing the difference of when to listen up, or speak up, can be very difficult. The balance is something I think we all continue learning, for the entirety of our lives.

 She is such a cutie!

Daniel decided he is ready to learn how to drive. We have been a little slower than some in this area, because there is only me to do the teaching. Sammi was able to take Drivers Ed during the summer last year, but Daniel is going to have a time just trying to find time to do it. He will likely go with an online course. For now, we are touring church parking lots. He did well, though I did get quite nauseous a few times, as he turned tight circles. I am not a very good driving instructor though, so I am grateful there are courses for this kind of thing. Letting my children out on the roads, is very high on my lists of scary things I have to do as a parent. I am learning to let go of that fear, and have a little more faith.

Today was the first day of Choir Bootcamp, before school starts. Sammi and Daniel are in one of the same choirs this year, so they wanted to get matching shirts to wear sometimes. They wore these shirts today. Daniel has a special love for Altos. That is all we have around here. :)

We had our ministering brothers (is that what we call them now?) come a few weeks ago. With the new changes to the program, I asked if it would be ok if we just had music time when they come over. Nothing brings people together quite like music does. We have some guitar-playing guys, and so we were able to play and sing a bit, and it was great.

One thing I try to do is share what works for me, with those who minister to me. That way, they are not left guessing. The sisters who minister to me know I like chocolate every once and awhile. And last month, I received the cutest little painted block pumpkins, but unfortunately, Henry thought it would be fun to color on them, so I might need to do some pumpkin repair work. Dang it. But I was SO happy for such a thoughtful, sweet gift. I am good with visits sometimes, but I just don't need them super often, so my ladies know that. I know I could call those who minister to me and my family if I need anything, and that is always a very comforting thing.

I love the new way of ministering, it is more personal, and less like a project. I think the point is for people to just learn how to love each other.

Love is kind of the point of life.

 I am grateful to have so much love in my life.