So fast

MAN this year went fast. I can't believe tomorrow is the last day of school. The kids get out early. It just zoomed by. It is a bit sad in a way but also very exciting as they are learning so much. I just can't believe how time flies and how fast my kids are growing up. Caleb just finished his first year in middle school and will be in 7th grade. YIKES. Zachary finished up the 3rd grade and Rachel just finished the 1st grade. She is now reading between a 4th and 5th grade level. She LOVES to read. I love that about her. I enjoy reading if it is a good book but she must really get her love of books from her dad.

Ethan will be starting school in the fall and that will only leave Mayah home with me. It just seems so weird to think that almost all my kids are in school. Does this make me old now?

Then what? I wonder what new experiences life will bring once that happens. I can't think about it too long because it makes me really sad. It just means my kids are that much closer to being on their own. Well actually Rachel told me that when she gets married she still wants to live with me. :) I wonder how long that she will think that. Then one of the kids wanted to know if they could just live here and serve their mission here. How cute is that? One day they will realize how very much they want to be on their own. I just hope it doesn't come too quickly because I feel like time is just slipping faster and faster away. And I hope I am doing a good job at teaching them all they need to know.

I worry alot. I worry about my kids. I worry about them making good choices. I worry about the influence that others have on my kids and I hope they don't give in to the things of the world. I hope I can teach them enough before it is too late. What if I am doing this mothering thing all wrong and my kids suffer because of ME?

All I know is that I truly love them and want what is best for them. I know that the time really does fly by and that we only have a small amount of time to teach them and help them and spend time with them.

YEAH for no more school for awhile. We love our summers. We love spending time with our family that we only get to see once a year. That time also flies by. I really think we need more time. :)

CONGRATS to my kiddos for finishing the year with good grades and working hard all year long.

Servant

As I was putting kids to bed tonight Caleb went into each of their rooms to tell them not to get out of bed in the morining because he was going to be their servant. He said he would make breakfast and bring it to each person in bed. Rachel then said, "MOM, are we allowed to eat in our beds"? I can't say no to that. Let's just hope the crumbs stay on the plate. :)

It is sooooooooo nice to have a son that loves to cook.....well actually bake. He makes biscuits and sausage gravy. He makes awesome muffins. Last night he fixed everyone pancakes for dinner. Oh and the boys (including Don) actually laughed at my homemade syrup. I always make homemade syrup BUT this time I got busy helping Caleb and it boiled too long and was a little thick.......OK it was alot thick. It was actually very funny and I laughed too. As soon as we were all done eating we started clearing the table. Don had the pan of syrup and he laughed again and showed me. It was actually so hard you could turn it upside down and it wouldn't move. It crystalized. I was just showing off a science experiment.

Activity Day Girls Pageant

So tonight was alot of fun. I am in charge of the Activity Day girls at church. We have a group of 6 girls that come and they range in age 9-11. Tonight they put on a pageant......now this isn't your typical type of pageant. This was WAY better. Each girl chose who they wanted to be and a talent to perform. And they were asked an interview question that was NOT rehearsed. I asked one girl (Ms. Cheerful).....If you were having a bad day what could you do to make youself happy? And she is our youngest girl too. Her answer: I could sing a primary song. How much better could you get than that? We invited their families to attend and had a pretty good turnout.

Here were the five contestants:

1. Ms. Faithful

2. Ms. Honest

3. Ms. Friendly

4. Ms. Virtuous

5. Ms. Cheerful

Ms. Faithful played a song on the piano. Ms. Honest did gymnastics. Ms. Friendly was supposed to play the recorder but she forgot it so she sang a song instead. Ms. Virtuous told a story and Ms. Cheerful sang a song.

They really did a great job. I was so proud of them.

At the beginning they all came out...one by one......and introduced themselves. They said there real name and then their pageant name. They each wore a sash with their pageant name. And at the end I placed a crown/tiara ($1 for 4 at the dollar store) on each girl.

It was a really fun evening. We then had a fruit platter with some homemade cake. I forgot to take my camera to take pictures of the girls but I have a picture of the cake I made.