Phone Calls

When School starts in September I will not be answering the phone until 4pm. I will not have time to talk while doing school with the kids and while the daycare kids are all at school I want to enjoy my kids and not have any distractions from them. I ask that you leave a message and I'll call you back at the end of the day. If it is an EMERGENCY call my cell phone.

Changes...

Our life this past year has been full of changes. Some good and some not so good. We now have our own home but it didn't happen the way I hoped it would. I would gladly trade it if I could have my Mom back with us. Our home has changed in it's appearance and while I miss certain things about the way my Mom had it, I am enjoying making it my own. It is because of these changes that I now have the courage to do what Robert and I have always wanted to do and what we and my Mom knew was best for our children. Because of my Mother's belief in me to home school our children I now know that it is what my family was meant to do.

This last year has been one of personal growth and combined with losing Hayden and my Mom I have become a stronger woman, while I have suffered through some horrible depression I am learning that all that matters is me, my husband and children. I am only required to take care of them and everything and everyone will just have to deal with the fact that I cannot take care of them too. While I want to be like my Mother, I will NOT let what happened to her happen to me. I will overcome this depression and not let others bring me down. I no longer have room for negativity in my life and will not tolerate anyone who tries to bring it into my life. I am worth loving and being taken care of and no one will ever make me feel different.

Schedule

I know that it will most likely need to be changed and it is flexible in case one subject doesn't take as long and one takes a little longer depending on the lesson or day but it does give me a schedule to go by so we can stay on track since not only will we be homeschooling but I also do daycare out of our home.
7:30 - Wake Up / Breakfast / Dressed
8:00 - Pledge
8:10 - Math
8:30 - Reading & Phonics
8:50 - Writing
9:10 - Grammar
9:30 - Snack Break
9:40 - Spelling & Vocabulary
10:00 - Handwriting
10.20 - Socila Studies
10:40 - Science
11:00 - Lunch
11:45 - Daycare kids to Preschool
12:00 - Family Time
3:00 - Pick up daycare kids from school

It's Offical...

We are now a Home Schooling family! We are so excited for this new step in our lives and can't wait to see how much our family grows and changes for the better.

You may think that we are insane for doing this but rest assured we aren't one of those families that gives Home Schooled kids a bad name. We have a schedule all set up and the help of an amazing Charter School who will provide all the of materials that we could ever need. We will use the same text books and lesson plans that public schools use but we will do it at home where the kids can get one on one attention instead of having to fight for the teachers attention with 30 other kids. We are also converting our guestroom/ toy room into a school room/guestroom. The kids are excited to learn and  grow and I can't wait to help them grow and learn.

We are now TLC Jaguars!

Gratitude

Today I am grateful for so many things. I have an amazing husband and 4 amazing children. I have the Gospel in my life which allows me to know that I will see my first two children and my Mother again. I am the daughter of an amazing woman who taught me how to be a mother and wife and taught me compassion and love for everyone. I am a lot like her in many ways and I am so proud of that. I have a roof over my head, food to eat, clothes to wear, a running vehicle and other things that I am blessed to have. I have an amazing calling that allows me to serve at the San Diego Temple every month. I have friends who love and support me and most importantly an Eternal Marriage to an amazing man who honors his Priesthood and loves me and his children with all his heart.

Happy Birthday Lydia!

Happy 17th Birthday Lydia! We love you much are beyond blessed to have you in our family. I can't believe how old you are, I still see you as my little Sunbeam.

I love you because you are an amazing daughter of God who freakishly reminds me of me when I was your age. Robert loves you because you are a strong girl with an amazing sense of humor and a strong testimony of the gospel and the importance of it in your life. Sage loves you because your so gorgeous and you used to read to him when he was little. Aurora loves you because you are her big sister and you sing songs and dance with her.

We hope you have a great day Lydia and always remember that you will forever be a part of our family. LOVE YOU TONS!

I know, I know.....

I'm a major slacker. I've been meaning to post but when I sit down to do it I just get depressed and overwhelmed and don't know where to start. Instead of doing individual posts I'm just gonna do one big picture crazy post.

Aurora started Ballet/Tap lessons in January and is loving them. Her first performance is in 3 weeks at a National Dance Week promotion. Her recital will be in June and then in July they are performing at the Fair in Del Mar. She has great rhythm and I'm hoping that she gets it from me and my show choir days.

Sage lost his second tooth by his own hands. It had been loose for a few weeks and he got sick of it so he picked up a weight and hit himself in the mouth and out it came.

Sage has also been doing gymnastics for almost a year and he's becoming quite the muscle man. Since this is an activity he shares with his Dad and his Dad keeps forgetting the camera I have no pictures to show. I have been a few times and of course I also forgot the camera. Hopefully this week we'll remember.

Aurora and I had a few days to ourselves while Sage was at school so we had tea parties with the tea set I bought when she was born so we could do this exact thing. I remember doing it with my Mom when I was her age and I only wish that we would have started it sooner so she could have done one with us. I'm thinking about taking Aurora to the cemetery to have a tea party with Grandma.

New Toy

I'm learning to use my new toy, an iPod touch. It's quite a lot of fun and the kids are even better at it than I am. I though I was pretty computer smart but Sage and Aurora are genius' and know how to do almost everything.

9 Years Later...

...and I'm still madly in love with Robert. We've been through an awful lot in the last 9 years dare I say more than most people. We've had 4 children and mourned two of them. We've had personal struggles and have said goodbye to my Mother all within the last 9 years, but we've come out of it stronger than ever and more united than I thought two people could ever be. He inspires me to be better, he supports and carries me when I don't have enough strength or courage to go on.

He loves me for who I am and has never once tried to change me. He puts up with my attitude and lets me be who I am. I love him more now than I did the day I married him. He is my best friend and the best part about him is that he loved my Mother like she was his.

The Worst

If there was an award for the Worst Blogger I would totally get it. The last 5 1/2 months I've been really lazy about it. To motivate myself I'm posting about all the things I need to Blog about .

* My Mom's Funeral
* Thanksgiving
* Christmas
* Sage's Gymnastics
* Aurora's Ballet/Tap Classes
* My adorably perfect Nieces
* Home improvement projects.

Hopefully I can get it in gear this weekend.

Wiggle it Like This!

Sage has a new and fabulous smile. He's so excited about it and keeps showing it to us. It's been loose for months and after much wiggling thanks to Lydia it's finally out. We were prepared to use pliers since his teeth are so tiny and slippery but Lydia finally got it out. He is very excited for the tooth fairy to come!

Christmas

Christmas was definitely bitter-sweet this year. The kids got everything they wanted which luckily wasn't too much. I love my kids so much it was great to see them so happy. We got up at 7 and opened presents and then got dressed and went to breakfast and then just hung out the rest of the day and played with all of the new toys and goodies we got.

Christmas Lights

We went to see lights tonight as a family. I of course forgot the camera again but I wanted to write down some thoughts while they were freash in my head.

This time of year always makes me feel grateful for my family and especially those who have already passed on. This weekend I have felt Hayden and my Mom so close to me. I have come to love my family even more than I thought possible even my adopted family and children. There is one person in particular that I have come to love more than I think they will ever know. I would do anything for this person and I consider them one of my children.