Bucket List

I've been meaning to make a bucket list but could never decided exactly what I wanted it to include. I came across this contest and thought I'd give it try, in no particular order.

1. See all of the LDS church history sites in the United States

                               (Carthage Jail)

2. Take a trip with my kids to Hawaii to experience what their Grandma loved about it.

3. Take a family trip to Universal Studios Harry Potter Theme Park in Florida so I can let my inner Harry Potter nerd out.

4. While we're in Florida Take a Disney Cruise with the Family to Disney's private island Castaway Cay

5. Drive to Washington state and camp on the beaches and the Redwoods our whole way home to San Diego.

6. Spend a week in New York, see a different Broadway show each night and stay at the Waldorf Astoria

 7. Eat this...

...Yes those are Krispy Kreme donuts. I would however take the

egg off and put on some yummy cheese.

8. Go to Ireland and stay in a castle

9. Go to London with my husband. I love the Royal Family!

10. Visit the Ben & Jerry's Factory in Vermont

11. Go whale watching again... this time with Dramamine.

12. Go on a hot air balloon ride

13. Go to Australia and visit the Sydney Opera House and Australia Zoo

14. Go to dinner with Alex O'Loughlin

15. Cook with Bobby Flay for a day.

This is my entry in the Just Ask Bucket List Getaway Giveaway. Just Ask offers a breast and ovarian cancer screening and is encouraging people to share 15 things that I want to enjoy in my lifetime as a reminder to be aware of my health. Want to enter? Head over to TodaysMama.com to get the details.

TLC Back to School Picnic

Every year TLC Academy hosts a huge picnic to celebrate the start of a new school year. We talked about it the whole weekend before and both of the kids were so excited! There is a lot of pictures so I'll just let them speak for themselves.

We ended the day with some really yummy snow cones. We can't wait til next year.



Goop!

For science last week we made goop. We gathered all of the ingredients and set to work.

Mix 2 parts water to 1 part borax, used 2 Tbsp. water and 1 Tbsp. Borax, stir and set aside. In a new bowl mix 1 Tbsp. Water and 1 Tbsp. white glue and 1-2 drops of desired food coloring.

We made green and blue goop and the kids played all week  with it.

I love that it's a liquid and a solid and will even bounce when rolled into a ball, let it sit and it melts in a pile of goop.

Lunch Date

Every now and then Aurora and I sneak away for a girls lunch date. She always picks Souplantation. She starts with a salad of cheese, pasta, croutons and ranch she then moves on to mac&cheese and pizza and then some chocolate ice cream with chocolate sprinkles. Oh, and she always steals my Strawberry Lemonade. I love this crazy little girl so much!

She always insists that we take a picture at the end of every adventure we have together.

She loves to give kisses and loves every chance she gets.

States & Planets

Today we started our day like we do everyday. We go out on our deck where our flag is flying and we say the Pledge of Allegiance then we go in and learn about U.S. Geography. Today we learned about New Jersey.

Sage loves crossword puzzles so I was lucky to find a great website that has puzzles with cities in that state

Lately, Sage has been obsessed with outer space so we made a planet display and started learning about the Sun.

We talked about what the sun is made of and how it creates shadows. went out in the driveway and traced the kids shadows.

All in all it was a great day. Homeschool is GREAT!

Chemical Reactions

Sage is obsessed with Science so I came up with this super easy science lesson about chemical reactions.

What you need:

glass pan

milk

food coloring

dish soap

toothpick

We poured milk into the pan and put some dish soap in a cup.

We then put a few drops of food coloring in the milk. Next, take the toothpick and dip it in the dish soap and then touch the middles of each food coloring area with the soap and watch what happens.

Sage informed me that this was the best science experiment ever! Homeschool is GREAT!

First Day of School

It's HERE! The first day of school has been talked about non-stop for the last two weeks. The kids have been so excited and loved going in the learning room and checking out all the cool things that they'll get to use for school.

Of course we had to do the required first day pictures.

 Sage Landon, Age 7

Aurora Janell Isabelle, Age 4 1/2

***Edited***

The day started at 6am for me so I could get all of my chores done before the kids woke up. The kids got up at 7 got dressed and made their beds, had breakfast and then brushed their teeth and did their morning chores. At 8 they read books to each other for 30 minutes, then our school day started with the pledge of allegiance and calendar/weather charting for Aurora then we started on math since that is Sage's least favorite subject. We then wrote a rough draft letter to their AIM TLC teachers telling them about themselves, we finished reading THE CHOCOLATE TOUCH for his poster book report that he'll do tomorrow. We wrote in our journals about our favorite gift that we have ever received, for social studies we learned about Delaware and George Washington and then read a book about the American Flag and what it means to different people then we ended our day with art where we all made our own flags. We were done by 10:30, now that's my kind of school.

It is nice that Sage can work somewhat independently so I can do Pre-K lessons with Aurora and Gabby. We then watched a video the very first American Flag made by Betsy Ross and then took Gabby to her Preschool class and then Sage, Aurora and I celebrated an awesome first day of school with McDonald's. We had 2 hours of Mommy/Kid time which was fabulous then off we went to pick up the girls from School and Preschool and now we are relaxing and enjoying each other. Homeschool is GREAT!

First Day of School Eve

The first weeks lessons have been planned down the the tiniest detail. Breakfasts have been prepped, lunch menu's are ready. The learning room has been finished(well... not quite yet). Schedules have been made and the kids are ecstatic and cannot wait to start school!

I feel very strongly that this is what I was meant to do. I was once told in a blessing that I would teach my children in my home. I just never thought it meant I'd actually teach, teach them. I am jumping feet first into this new life for our family and we are all determined to make learning fun.

Our School Room - Part 2

I think I'm finally happy with the school room. YAY! All that's missing is a white board which will go on the empty wall in picture below.

Preschool Charts and our map of the United States. The yellow tote holds frequently used supplies such as pencils, markers, crayons, colored pencils, glue, scissors and rulers. The table is our old kitchen table and the chairs are from IKEA

Here's a view of the closet that holds a dresser with our extra craft and misc. supplies and a little desk with our pet hamster Squishy. Then there's the circle time area for preschool with Aurora.

Of course we have to double up and use this room as a guest room as well, especially since we have a variety of people spending the night at least 2-3 times each month. The bed doubles as a reading area. I still need some art for the wall.

Here' are our bookcases with leveled readers, educational books that go with our curriculum  and manipulative's, as well as out nature shelf to display the things we find on our days out.

One Year Ago...

...today my Mother's body left this world and her Spirit moved on. It's times like this that I really appreciate the Atonement and I'm so glad that I have the knowledge that I will see her again.

I went months without dreaming about her but in January of this year the dreams started and they pick up right where the last one left off, It has brought me so much comfort. The last year has been the most difficult time of my life, but I am happy to report that I have come a very long way in the last month and I look forward to what my future holds. I know that my Mom is here with me, cheering me on and comforting me and my family.

{this was taken 9 days before her death}

I am grateful for the example she set and while it is almost impossible to live up to, I am doing my best to make her proud. A few weeks after her passing I received a letter from her dear friends Terry and Belann Earley which said:

Joseph Smith said that women generally have by nature, generosity and largeness of soul. That is what I think when I consider my time with Maxine. She is the acme of that characterization.

I think of my 3 oldest girls who still, after 15 years have (and use) the quilts that Maxine tied for them when they were married.

I think of Kira, whose first car immediately blew its radiator, so Maxine and Sid quietly arranged for a replacement when we could not.

I think of the many times she would not come out of the kitchen to be recognized, but would work herself to exhaustion serving and cleaning up at countless events. Her car was always the first at the kitchen door and the last to leave.

I remember two daughters, sharing a wedding reception when we had no funds at all to pay, Maxine stretching our meager $700 to make it a memorable affair. Those decorations had been used dozens of times before and dozens of times since.

I remember that every single conversation we had when she served as our ward Relief Society president ended with her question, “Now Bishop, what can I do for you?”

As I sat through her services Monday, I looked around and realized that every single person in that room had been served in some way by her. That is why they were all there, to honor her.

How can a family or a ward replace such a woman? I am afraid we cannot. She is truly one in a million. The question is, could we be just a little more untiring as servants to others because she touched our lives?

Finally, when I read Revelation 7:13-17, I always think of my friend, Maxine, who now serves on the other side of the veil as her Savior smiles on her continuing efforts.

13 And one of the elders answered, saying unto me, What are these which are arrayed in white robes? and whence came they?
14 And I said unto him, Sir, thou knowest. And he said to me, These are they which came out of great tribulation, and have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.
15 Therefore are they before the throne of God, and serve him day and night in his temple: and he that sitteth on the throne shall dwell among them.
16 They shall hunger no more, neither thirst any more; neither shall the sun light on them, nor any heat.
17 For the Lamb which is in the midst of the throne shall feed them, and shall lead them unto living fountains of waters: and God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes.  

We have a lot planned today to honor her and I'll post pictures later.

Our School Room - Part 1

We recently got our school room partially finished. It is by no means complete and I'm sure it will evolve a lot in the coming months.

The Social Studies wall

 The Preschool wall



 The work table

 The reading nook/guest bed

Book cases with books, supplies and nature display