A Storm Rolling In

At the end of August the kids and I were outside. I was doing some yard work in the backyard and I looked up and saw a storm rolling in. It was so sunny looking south and so dark and foreboding looking north. I took this picture hoping to catch the difference.

There wasn't much rain with the storm. Just s drizzle and some wind and then it passed almost as quickly as it showed up.

Kindergarten!

Well, my little boy started kindergarten a few weeks ago. He has been in preschool for two years but for some reason Atreyu going to kindergarten feels so real. Where has the time gone? How is my baby already in kindergarten? He likes it alright. He came home the first day and told me that they didn't play with any toys. I told him that he only really got to play with toys in preschool.

Just in the few weeks that he's been in school he has progressed so much. He is doing really well writing his numbers and letters and a couple days ago his teacher sent home a book with three letter words in it that Atreyu is reading! What?! How is this possible?! He gets a little frustrated at times but he is doing so well. In art class the teacher showed the kids all the steps to draw a clown and this was Atreyu's. I think he got his daddy's artistic talent.

I am so proud of our wonderful boy!

Fun With the Harpers

Our kiddos love to play with other kids. It's so nice having a few kids in town that they are able to play with usually at least once a week. They play at our house and they play at the Harpers. The other day they were here playing with play-doh. I think they probably sat there and played for about two hours with each other.

Being a Mother

Today has been a trying day. Cambria woke me up early and Atreyu was kind of cranky from the moment I picked him up from school. I yelled at him multiple times, put him in time out, put myself in time out, and I finally got them in bed about an hour ago. I always get really frustrated with myself for not having more patience, especially with my children.

I was just scrolling through Facebook, wasting time, and I somehow ended up looking at the page of a young mother from the area who died earlier this year from cancer. I was looking through her pictures and reading comments that people had made. From all the comments I have read about her she was the kindest, most big-hearted person you could ever meet. Looking at the pictures of her with her husband and young daughter brought tears to my eyes. It seems so unfair that such a wonderful person would be taken from her family.

I think looking at her page was really what I needed today. Life is so fragile and none of us know how much time we have here. I know that days like today don't happen all the time. I know my children will only be little for a short while. I know that I need to love and appreciate every moment I have with them. Seeing how much this woman was loved by everyone and how she was so giving and loving to everyone around her makes me want to be a better person. She makes me want to try harder to be less selfish and more selfless. Apparently, she had already reached perfection in this life. If that's the case than I am going to live a very long time. I have a long way to go and I know I need to try harder.

I love my children and the blessing they are in my life. Honestly, life was easier without children but the joy they bring to my heart makes every difficult moment worth it. I wouldn't trade my kids for anything and I will do anything and everything I can for them. I am so thankful that Heavenly Father blessed me with Atreyu and Cambria and made me a mother. There is no greater calling and I pray that I will do the absolute best I can to fill that calling.

Wildfires

While we were in Montana for the family reunion at the beginning of August some wildfires started in northern Idaho, Washington, and Montana. There are quite a few still burning but a couple weeks ago the smoke from them made it very hazy here in Bear Lake. There was only one day (thank goodness) when I could actually smell the smoke and fell it in my lungs. It made for some beautiful sunsets but we could hardly see Montpelier from our house. I am so glad the smoke has finally cleared up.

The following are just some pictures that have been posted on Facebook and I wanted to share them on here. They are truly beautiful and terrifying all at once. I am thankful there are so many men and women who are willing to risk their lives to save others. My heart aches for the many families that have lost their homes in these fires and I pray that everyone will be kept safe and that these fires can be contained soon.

Bubble Bath

My kids love taking baths especially when bubbles are included. They love to spend at least an hour in the tub just playing make believe. There is usually fighting at some point but they mostly play well together. They think it's funny when I cover them in bubbles and they like to give themselves beards. 

I love that both Atreyu and Cambria are making such funny faces in these pictures. It totally shows Atreyu's devious side and Cambria's little diva side. Such silly kiddos!

Dino Party

The library has been doing a program the past few years called "A Thousand Books Before Kindergarten." Every time a child is read 100 books they get a prize up to 1000 books. I finished with my kids last September and the library just had a party for all the kids who finished in the past year. It was a dinosaur party and the kids were able to dig in the dirt for dinosaurs, throw a hula hoop and try to ring an inflatable dinosaur, and then they had dirt cups and dino juice. They loved the party! I love that my kids love books so much. I hope they always do.

I love this last picture of Cambria eating the gummy worm. The look on her face makes me laugh every time I look at it.

Huckleberry Picking

The kids and I were able to go huckleberry picking with Olivia Harper and her girls. It was a beautiful day and we were a little worried that we wouldn't find much but we ended up with quite a bit. Cambria is your typical child huckleberry picker who eats everything she picks but Atreyu ate a few and said he wanted to save the rest for later. He was pretty diligent and filled his cup about halfway. 

We brought the huckleberries home and made pancakes and muffins with them. The kids and Jesse loved them!