Goodbye May, Hello June!

We have had a busy couple of weeks with May coming to an end and summer fast approaching. Mommy was able to stop babysitting towards the end of May, and it has taken some adjusting as we figure out our new normal...again. Here's a sneak peak at what we've been up to. 

 Caleb is such a joy. He is a light in our home and family and we just can't get enough of him. He loves being outside and playing with his toys, but he also loves to just chill out in front of the TV with his favorite shows. Star Wars, Land Before Time, or Winnie the Pooh are his regulars. 

 We have had such beautiful weather. The kids have loved playing in the backyard in the evening. Adam and Daddy have been playing a lot of catch and the girls and Caleb love to play "Steam Roller" with their Daddy. 

 We've all had our check up's with the dentist in the last 2 weeks. Tessa was the only one to have any cavities. It was Gwen's first dentist visit and she was so excited to be there! She liked them tickling her teeth. 

 I never posted anything from Mother's Day. We had a nice day at home and I basically got to lock myself in my room and take the day off, which is exactly what I needed. I am so grateful to be their Mommy!!

 Adam and Tessa got to participate in their Memorial Day assembly as school. It was such an awesome experience!

 Tessa and I snapped a picture together on World Redhead Day.

 Bedtime Stories with my kids is something I love. The older 3 kids and I just finished reading the Pippi Longstocking series. We love our reading time together. 

Mommy's first week off of babysitting was a busy one. We had a special assembly at the kids school early one morning. Gwen and Caleb were happy to be fed pancakes afterwards. 

 We finally got to go to the park. Gwen has been asking for weeks to go, but with all the extra kids I had all the time, we haven't been able to. We stopped on the way home from the assembly and these 2 had such fun!!

 We celebrated National Doughnut Day with an early morning doughnut run before school. That's no small feat since we have to be ready and out the door by 7am!

 Early morning doughnut runs means nap time occurs while we grocery shop after dropping the kids off at school. 

 Tessa had her cavities filled. She said it didn't hurt one bit and she thought the laughing gas was funny. 

 For FHE last week, we made some summertime teepee's for the backyard. They are so fun!

 Adam auditioned for his school talent show, made it, and did an excellent job performing his song on the piano. He said he was pretty nervous, but then he just pretended like he was just practicing and his nerves went away. 

 Tessa's art work amazes us. She is so talented!

 The end of the school year means Mommy has a lot of paperwork to go through. 

 Adam stays up way too late reading most nights. He almost got in trouble the other night when I went in to check on the boys and saw his light still on. He as fast asleep though. 

 Tessa has been so excited to start piano lessons and this week it was finally time! She loves their teacher and she can't wait to learn.

 We had Mommy's car break down and Daddy's car get a flat tire all in the same day. We got the car started and Mommy got it into the shop and then walked home as fast as she could (Adam was babysitting), Kristin had to save us and go pick Adam and Tessa up from school, and Daddy was able to get his tire fixed after work. Not our lucky day, but thankfully, everything worked out and got fixed, and we felt blessed it happened while we were at home and not on some trip or out on some family adventure. 

End of Year School Programs

Last week, Adam and Tessa had their end of year programs at school. Their classes performed several songs and poems that they learned during the year. Tessa got to represent her German heritage and  hold a German flag during their immigration song. She did not like being the center of attention, but she spoke very loud and clear when it was her turn to say her lines. She had them all memorized and she did a great job!

Tessa has loved Ms. Young as her teacher this year! She has loved 2nd grade but is so excited to move onto 3rd grade!

Adam's program was a day later and he did a great job too! He and his classmates memorized some fun things this year. One of which was The Midnight Ride of Paul Revere. Adam has been so anxious to perform this. They all did such a great job with it. That is quite the long poem to memorize!

 

 The 4th graders got to display their tri-folds for their research projects they did a couple of months ago. 

He has had a great 4th grade year. 5th grade... here he comes!! 

Memorial Day 2016

We had a beautiful Memorial Day this year! We are thankful for the opportunity we have during the year to stop and think about the courageous men and women who have given their lives for our freedom. We got some things done around the house in the morning and then we went on a fun family bike ride along our river trail. 

 We went to the city cemetery to pay our respects to all the soldiers from Spanish Fork who were being honored with markers and flags. It's always a humbling site to see how many names there are. 

We spent a fun afternoon and evening at Ma and Pa's house for a barbecue and games. Adam sang taps for everyone and at 3pm, we had a moment of silence to remember all of our fallen soldiers. I am so thankful my kids will grow up knowing and understanding why we we have Memorial Day. It's a day that we should not take for granted!

Our Trip to Grantsville

Last Sunday, we took a fun adventure after church. We loaded up the whole Lemley side of the family (those that live here) and we headed to Grantsville. This is a small town just outside of Tooele where my Great Grandma was born and raised. Our Barrus side of the family settled in Grantsville after crossing the plains with other pioneers. 

My Great, Great, Great Grandpa Barrus and his family are all from Grantsville. Grandpa Barrus has always been one of our favorite ancestors and one of my heroes. Grandpa Barrus joined the Mormon Battalion and served as a 2nd Leiutentant. His brother, Emery, was also amazing. I was able to get a lot of information on him when I lived in Nauvoo and I even found his home and property lines. Emery hid on a small "island" out in the Mississippi river and built wagons for the saints to use when they were being driven from Nauvoo. Both of these men were courageous and acted on their convictions. I have always admired them for that. I can't imagine the hardships they and their families endured to join the church and travel to Utah. But I am so thankful for them and for their sacrifices so I can have the gospel in my life and teach it to my children. 

 One of our very special family members is buried in Grantsville. Our Great Uncle Paul, was shot down in WWII. It took a while for his body to be shipped home to the United States, but eventually it was and he was able to be buried next to his parents. Uncle Andrew is named after him. 

 Caleb's middle name is Barrus. I want my kids to know and understand the sacrifices made for them. I want them to be proud of their heritage and to have the courage of their ancestors. They have so many great examples of courgeous men and women from all sides of their family. 

 We had fun roaming the cemetery looking for other relatives. And Tessa loved to carry Gia around with her. 

 Before we headed back home, we stopped at a park for a picnic dinner. The kids had a ball playing and we loved hearing their happy noises and seeing their happy faces.