THEY'RE HOME!

My dad called yesterday at about 5:45pm to let us know that they're home from their mission. We're headed to see them after school today. We're so excited to see them! Oh, it's so fun!:)

Updates

We had a Happy Valentine's Day. Layne took off 3 days and told me whatever I needed he was ready and willing. VERY NICE (he's awesome)! We got so much done and were able to have some alone time too!:) Layne and I went to lunch on Friday and then to the kids' valentine parties at school. On Saturday (Valentine's Day) we had our traditional dinner with the kids, on special plates, with fancy glasses and a special dessert and treats from Cupid. On the menu this year - crock pot lasagna, salad and bread. For dessert - black raspberry and chocolate chunk ice cream with Amish friendship bread and a caramel Hershey kiss on the side.



As for what is going on in life -

McKenzie got hit in the mouth with a baseball (not fun, and Kyler felt really bad about it). She is super tough though! She also completed two more projects - a music box for Reading and an Aboriginal dot painting and/or drawing for Social Studies.


And just for an update - the grades for the previously mentioned reading project - scrapbook = 320 points out of 300, and her brochure and PowerPoint = 150 points out of 150. She (we) were pretty excited!!! And as for her "unspeakable math grade," it is now an 89 - YEAH! Things are looking up! She also got invited to be in an Honor Band (with her flute) that will be held in March.

Kyler officially started his soccer season! He has been anxiously but patiently waiting for soccer to start!


(This is from spring season 2008. I am so excited for this season! I love watching him play!)

Karlee completed a report on Ray Charles for black history month. She now loves the song Hit the Road Jack.



And Kavan has a black eye!


(What's new, right?!? Kyler felt really bad about it too!)

We also had two days off of school! I got called into work on Monday (while Layne had the day off) which was kind of a bummer. However, Layne and McKenzie washed and folded the laundry (how cool is that!?!). Layne finished hanging pictures on the newly painted wall and in our newly painted bathroom (Layne did the painting, he's awesome). The kids got a surprise visit from their cousins Timothy, Jeremiah, and Rebekah. And Layne helped me get dinner ready for the missionaries and our friends. McKenzie's friend Emily (she has been coming to church with us now for about 5-6 months) had her third discussion with the missionaries.


It was awesome! Emily's mom was with her and is so supportive. Emily is very energetic, but she has this really sweet spirit and already knows more than I could have imagined her knowing. The spirit was so touching. What a great feeling! Emily wants to be baptized on February 28, 2009 at 6:00pm (pretty neat,huh?)


P.S. Layne got called to jury duty. Then, it got cancelled. Then, today I got called to jury duty. How does that work?!?

P.S.S. My mom and dad are on their way home from their mission! Let's talk about exciting!!! :) (More updates soon!)

HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY!

Hope your day is full of love!

P.S. My mom made our outfits! I told you she's AWESOME!

P.S.S. February is also Dental Health Month. So I thought I would share a song...

HAPPY TEETH SONG
Use the tune from "Are you sleeping Brother John"


1. Brush your teeth,
brush your teeth,
everyday, everyday,
use your brush and toothpaste,
use your brush and toothpaste,
twice a day, twice a day

2. Floss your teeth,
floss your teeth,
everyday, everyday,
use your floss and fingers,
use your floss and fingers,
once a day, once a day

3. Eat healthy foods,
eat healthy foods,
everyday, everyday,
don't eat lots of sugar,
don't eat lots of sugar,
it causes decay, it causes decay

4. Visit the dentist,
visit the dentist,
twice a year, twice a year
the dentist checks your teeth,
the dentist checks your teeth,
open wide, open wide


*Seriously, go brush your teeth! :)

WHEW!

This is Kavan sound asleep -totally snoring- on the bathroom mat after a shower! It kind of sums up the feeling we all have from the adventures of our last two weeks!:)

Last Monday we talked about Joseph and his coat of many colors. We talked about how forgiving Joseph was and how righteous he was to have things prepared and in order to survive a famine!(We made "coats of many colors" with wax paper, crayon and the iron.)

Well, McKenzie apparently missed that lesson because after the week of sickness, we had to do a lot more "make up" work than was expected. Anyhow, she thought she understood math but with her unspeakable current grade in math she doesn't! And her Reading project that is due today (that she has had 4 weeks to work on) was about 5 minutes researched as of last Monday. -I'm totally chalking it up to the fact that I publicly boasted about how well my kids were doing in school!- So, I had to put on my math tutor hat and my cheerleader hat and try to leave the impatient and frustrated mom behind! Did I mention that Layne was out of town and that I have 3 other kids with homework!

(Thankfully Kyler was a huge help this past week!)

We decided that math had to take priority since she had missed a test while she was sick and would be making it up. After hours of multiplying, adding, dividing, and subtracting fractions, decimals and mixed numbers, she finished the make up test on Thursday. (We don't know the grade, yet - she says it was easy - we will see!) So, on Wednesday the Reading project got started. She had to do a scrapbook, a PowerPoint presentation, and a pamphlet on a real country inserted with her own fictional kingdom. If the scrapbook was turned in by Friday, she got 10 extra credit points. I work on Wednesdays, so I gave her specific instructions on what needed to be done by the time I got home. Wednesday night, our printer stopped working - that's a whole other story. I stayed up until about 12:30am trying to get the printer to work and after I thought I had figured it out - it ran out of ink!! Thursday, I'm out first thing getting ink - Did I mention that my husband is out of town! I replaced the ink and here goes the printer - Yeah! But now the computer is locked! You've got to be kidding me!?! Knowing the computer savvy person that I am not, I worry a little. Thankfully I'm on the phone with my mom, she tells me a couple things to try - it's not working - so she tells me to turn off the computer. I start worrying some more because there's a document that I did not save. And I learned in computer class a long long time ago that just turning off the computer is a huge NO, NO! Anyway, it worked and the document was saved (it had to have been divine intervention - because I don't know how much more I could have taken!). So, long story short (could it be any longer? Um, sorry!)I sent McKenzie to bed a little after 9:30pm (she gets up at 5:30am) and put on my secretary hat and finished her typing. I have to give her credit though, because she only kind of complained once (right before she couldn't control her eyes from falling asleep) and I did have to remind her that she had to stop to eat dinner. I was in bed at about 11:30pm (much sooner than I thought I might be, yeah! - but did I mention that my husband is out of town hunting with two of his favorite buddies?) McKenzie got up early and finished putting the scrapbook together, ate and was on her way to school with ten extra points! I worked Friday morning, and driving to work was so relaxing. After school and piano lessons, we decided that we would go through the car wash (because it's too cold to do it at home and what child doesn't love the car wash), go home, eat pizza and ice cream, and watch a movie. At the car wash, you know how you put your car on the track and put it in neutral - as we were nearing the end of the car wash my car kicked into reverse (maybe it doesn't enjoy a bath). This was the perfect way to top off the week, and did I mention that Layne is out of town?!? Thankfully, no damage was done to my car, however the car behind me had its mirror broken because the car wash did not stop right away -I really am sorry about that!- (by the way, my kids are not so fond of the car wash anymore). We all got home safely with our pizza, but 3 out of 5 of us may not be able to tell you what movie we watched.

Saturday was a day that I wondered if I should let anyone out of the house! I did, and with only minor injuries -

(silly boy!)

Kyler came home from riding dirt bikes with Collin and Kirk ready and excited to go again! And best of all, Layne came home earlier than expected and my jealously that his "guy time" totally outweighs my "girl time" is slowly diminishing!:)

Last night's family home evening = Helping each other and staying on task!

Whew, that was long but I feel better now!:) And McKenzie finished the rest of her project without a hitch. Did I mention that my husband is home! :)