Fun plants

There are lots of fun plants here due to such high humidity. I love it. There are many trees that have flowers all over them even now. It's so fun to see all the flowers on our walks. This one is a favorite of mine. It was fluffy and pink. The kids all loved it too.

Hard to see, but here is a branch of the tree

Rebekah always makes this face for some reason when she wants me to take a picture of her.

Lizzie

And Joseph in his favorite outfit. I can't stand it, but he wants to wear it every single day.

Facinating childhood

I love to discover new things about the kids. They are all so different and approach things differently. Something one will do the other can't stand. Something one excels at another will really struggle with. It fascinates (and occasionally annoys) me that they can be so completely different. Today Joseph actually put a puzzle together. He managed to sit there and work on it and find matching pieces, he loved doing it, and he put it away without being asked. How fun! I never thought he would like sitting still that long working so meticulously on something.

The other day I came up with a new way for us to work on summer reading with Joseph. I have a friend who built a rock climbing wall in the kids play room. It's pretty neat, and takes up a surprisingly small amount of space. She put up letters at the hand holds and has her kids spell things out. I don't plan on building a rock climbing wall while we're here (but I do the next place we go!) so I got out the mini tramp and put up letter stickers with the letters that Joseph is working on right now. He loves it. He bounces away and smacks the letters when I call out the sounds. He gets so crazy with the jumping that I have to keep him from falling off frequently, but it's working! Hooray for great ideas. The surprising thing was Sariah. Rebekah was on the tramp, and I was having her spell out some words. Spelling is not a strong point with her. She can sound out just about anything now, and reads incredibly well for her age, but she does not like to spell. Teaching Rebekah to read was sooooo easy. Teaching Sariah to read has been hard for me and her. We had to take a month off for a while because we were both getting so frustrated with the whole process. I came up with a different way to work on reading with her, and slowly but surely she is getting there. She still can't read without frequent help. So that's why when I asked Bekah to spell a word and she couldn't figure it out fast enough, and Sariah jumped up there and shouts out "it's M A D" while slapping the letters really fast shocked me. We did more words and she just went right at it. Holy cow! Who would have thought that the child that can read so well wouldn't spell things easily, and the one that can't read very easily does it like it's no big thing?! Oh, and that poster there is of the helicopter that Jacob flies.

Naomi Newborn Photos

This girl is only 1 month 1/2 and has already been photographed at least a million times. I'm so glad I have a girl! These were done by Eric Massey, a friend in the Soldotna ward. He's also done family pictures for us one year. It's become more of a business, so he's also edited our photos this time. Aren't they beautiful?

There's my $4 flower from Micheals. I think I'll hold on to it for my next girl(s). :)

To all the men in our lives:

Happy Father's Day!


Thank you all for being such wonderful men.

News and other stuff

We found out yesterday that we got Fort Wainwright. We will be moving to Fairbanks soon! Jacob has to report by mid-October. We have to get passports to move up there. Can you believe that? Before we can get our passports (even the kids have to have them!) we have to get concurrent orders, and to get that we all have to have physicals and other things done. Our passports will take from 6-8 weeks AFTER we get concurrent orders, and getting those orders will probably take several weeks after all the doctors appointments are done. We wanted to move up there right after graduation, which is September 2, but now we are just hoping that the kids and I will actually be able to travel with Jacob before October. Fun stuff! Rebekah is so excited to move to Alaska. It is so horribly hot here now, and she doesn't like heat any more than I do, maybe even less, which is saying something!

Yuck, I was just sitting here thinking how happy I am that the latest pest control treatment seems to be working. I went to change the laundry and a giant cockroach came out from under the dryer. Nettie, please tell me you don't have giant roaches in Alaska! Those things freak me out. The laundry is still sitting in the washer. It can wait until Jacob wakes up tomorrow morning. I'm not going near it now!

Where's Waldo?

I walked in the other day to find this. Can you spot what I'm talking about? No, it's not that the kids forgot to make their beds, and it's not that someone pulled out dress up clothes and left them on the floor...

It's Simeon!

Poor boy fell asleep on Joseph's bed. It was 9:45 in the morning. I asked Jacob if he had heard Simi crying, and he wasn't sure. The kids didn't hear him either. I'm pretty sure he got himself stuck up there and fell asleep when no one came to get him.

Emma's Glasses

When Emma had her physical for kindergarten she missed a lot of the letters when doing the sight test and even though they suggested she have a vision test I didn't schedule one because I thought they were mistaken and just didn't realize she super good at her ABC's yet. She has never complained about having a hard time seeing. At the beginning of this school year Emma had a vision test at school and she cam home telling me, "THey said I missed a lot and should have a vision test with a Dr." I started thinking I should make an appointment. As we were sitting waiting for Emma's eye appointment I started thinking , "Why am I doing this? Emma can see fine. THe Dr. is going to think I'm silly." However when we had the test he said she has a lazy left eye and is far sighted. Her right eye is perfect and was compensating for the left eye. 3 weeks later they called saying her glasses were ready. The man that gave us her glasses and talked to us about how and when to use them and how to care for them was amazed to find out these were her first pair of glasses. He said, "Usually you work your way up to this prescription." The left side is pretty thick. She looks cute with them though and is amazed how different everything looks. (She told me Caroline looks different to her when she has her glasses on)

Vilate's B-day

Vilate just turned 4 and I atempted to make a dress-up dress. It is weird looking but it won't fall apart because I used my awesome new sewing machine. I have an idea for an improvement on my made-up pattern and want to make another one. Mom made her a fun violet (not to be confused with Vilate) dress-up skirt. She says it is like one she had at day care that was Bentley and Bailey's favorite. (how old would those boys be now? they are still little in my mind) Mom and I found a cute ladybug cake on line. I made a chocolate cake with choc. chips in a pyrex bowl and a custard bowl for the body and head. I made red buttercream frosting (tastes so much better with butter instead of margarine) and Junior mints as dots and M&Ms for eyes and mouth.

Parley's B-day/ Baptism

I don't know why I havn't been on top of putting pics on here but some important things have happened that need to be recorded! Parley turned 8 and was baptized. I bought him a new suit and realized afterwards we were going to be buying him cub scout stuff. It was expensive but he sure looks handsome in both! Oh, yeah and he also went to a padre game with dad on his B-day. (spoiled only boy!) CAn't forget the happy b-day video.

Our morning walk

It has taken me two days to get pictures loaded on to here! Evidently it doesn't like to load more than one picture at a time from the new camera we got. We went and exchanged the new one for a new, new one! Now we're all happy. Anyway, this picture is for Gramma. Here's some kudzu for you! It's completely covering everything about now. For those of you that have never seen it, it's an obnoxious weed. It grows fast, and it covers literally everything if left to itself. It will kill off whole trees once it completely covers them because it will block out the sun to everything underneath once it is thick enough. I'd never thought of it as anything but a nuisance until Mom and Dad came out last summer. Mom thought it was pretty, and it made me realize that it does look neat. By the time summer is over everything behind Bekah will be completely covered.

The "snake bridge" as the kids call it. They like to walk down here and throw leaves in the creek. They play a game where two people throw a leaf in and the first leaf into the tunnel is the winner.

Sweet Lizzie watching the water.

Baby John slept through the whole walk. Poor baby was drenched in sweat by the time we got home. We all were. It was so humid yesterday.

Simi sitting down on one of our rest stops. He had to place his train just right before he would eat. He LOVES any kind of vehicle. He is so different from Joseph. Poor guy was recently sick and he lost a couple pounds. He's still has chubby legs and cheeks though! His arms and waist got skinny. It's amazing what a difference a few pounds can make on such a little guy.

recent photos or everything!

Matthew standing in his bouncer chair. He is so cute!Matthew trying to watch TV upside-down
He thinks I am so funny!
This is part of our garden. We have tons of green onions on the left, and some parsley in the back middle.
This is Kathy at her promotions ceremony. Now she is a big middle school student.

This is a picture of Samuel's first time painting. I know, shame on me, this was last week.
I love attention!

Mommy! Please can I drive!?

Matthew all smiles!

Grandma holding the youngest grandkids, and loving it!

Holt kiddles

Here are the "big" kids on Sunday before church. It's so hot here that my camera lens fogs over when I go from inside to outside.

This was the kids' favorite picture of John. Unfortunately it was the only one out of focus.

And here he is looking like he has a buddha belly. He really isn't that chubby. Thanks for the suggestion to get a swing Gramma! he loves it and it gives me free hands for a few hours every day. He likes to swing and watch the others run around, and he sleeps fairly well in it too. Simi thinks it's for him also. He sneaks into it as often as he can.

Naomi's Blessing Day

Well, Travis was pretty certain yesturday at 9:30pm that he would not be fishing today, so that's when the bishop got the call asking if we could have Naomi blessed! :)

This morning Naomi cried for about an hour, then she slept the whole sacrament meeting & though her blessing, and then later for her pictures after church. Wow, is all I have to say. I guess if that's what it takes, then I'll take it.

Some things from her blessing: as she grows she will know her purpose in life. She will be faced with the decision to choose good or evil, and it will not be hard for her to choose because of the things she was taught. She will be an example to those around her. People will look to her for strength in the gospel. The gospel will be a big part of her life. She will be a mother. Her mother and father love her deeper than can be understood (:)) After this life she will be able to look into Heavenly Father's eyes and He will say "Well done."

Here she is with Daddy.

Thanks to our dear friends, the Richards for taking the pictures and using their awesome camera, since my camera is acting up again.

Here's a cute one. Me kissing Naomi w/Tustin running through the dandilions in the background.

Travis & I with the girly.

Our first family picture since Naomi was born.

I love Tracker's stance.

Inside, me & the little girl.

Nikiesha got some awesome shots of Naomi. And look, she's even sleeping! Amazing. I absolutely love these tummy pictures. She is so sweet.

Sis. Ruby Gonzales from Soldotna ward made this sweet blessing outfit for her. It is beautiful. She also made the blessing outfit for the boys. She has a wonderful gift.

Sweet, sleeping girl. I can't get enough of it!!

Here's me & Nikiesha at my baby shower. This was a while ago, but Nikiesha was able to give me the pictures today.

This is at the lake, the first day it was "hot". I think it actually got up to 70! Umm, I think Tustin is picking his butt. Tracker is playing with the truck and that's Parker Richards, their buddy.

Tracker

Me & Naomi at the lake, in the wrap. My shoulders hurt that night. I didn't think I'd have to use that sun hat.

My baby shower. Wow, it's weird to see me with a pregnant belly. Look at all those presents!!

Nummy food! Terri Escott made the yummy sweets & flower decorations. I think Nikiesha & Lisa Henderson took care of the rest. Thanks girls, that was fun! We appliqued onsies for Naomi & tied a quilt made by Carla Anderson. My kind of shower!

I'll be posting the newborn pix soon, they are ready!