Emma at Liberty girls

Here's Emma with her Liberty Girls group that I am leading again this semester. Sadly Robyn is too old for Liberty Girls now and has advanced to YASA (Young Adult Statesmen Academy) where she meets once a month with a group of girls her age and discusses a book, plans an activity and does a service project.

This semester for Liberty Girls they are reading about a girl named Kit who lived through the great depression. The books were well written to teach the girls about making the most of what you have and the importance of saving. They also touch on service quite a bit and not judging where others are in their life. There are six books that we read, one for each get together. Every time we are done with one Emma begs for me to read her the next. These books are helping Emma to be more motivated on reading practice and her desire to read on her own has increased.

In the pictures (provided by my co-leader Tricia) the girls are making piggy banks out of old jars and fabric scraps. This semester we are encouraging them to save for the year end Liberty Girls Retreat on their own.

What? I'm sick?!?

So I was suppose to fly out to Arizona today, but I had to postpone my flight because I'm actually sick with a cold. I haven't been sick with a cold for almost two years!! URG, I can't believe it.

I'm going to Arizona to be a caregiver to my childhood friend, Melissa. She was diagnosed with stage 4 lung cancer about a month ago. She's going through Chemo Therapy and can't risk catching any illness other than what she is going through. So, I'm having to wait until Tuesday and hopefully this bug will be gone. Wouldn't you know, I get sick right before I leave, geesh!

Aiden's hole in his head

Aiden finally lost his first tooth! It was very wiggly and Aaron conviced Aiden to let him pull out his tooth with a piece of floss. I can't believe Aiden actually let Aaron do it, but he did. He cried for a while, but then became very excited that the tooth fairy (they know it's mom and dad, but they don't want to believe us) will be coming tonight.

Do you like his hair cut? Ya, that's what happens when Dad cuts his hair! Good thing we have a few weeks until Dan's wedding... :)

Random pictures

Here are some fun pictures of my kids just doing what we do on a daily basis.

Gwen with her dog that Grandpa Thompsen gave her for her birthday. She loves that dog!

Gwen with her new hair style. She has asked me everyday for a week to have braids like Emma and Robyn.


Here's Aaron and Aiden playing Go on the board that Gwen and Nate gave Aaron last Christmas. Gwen is playing referee. It's a special treat when he pulls it out.

Today Aiden kept asking me to use my sewing machine when I was working on it. Then I remembered seeing another blog where a lady drew a picture on a piece of fabric and had her son "trace" it with thread. So we found a coloring page of Yoda on the Internet and traced him onto some fabric. He thought this was so cool!

Robyn read the book "Sadokoo and a Thousand Paper Cranes" a few weeks ago. Ever since then Robyn and Emma went crazy folding paper cranes with the paper their Auntie Gwen sent from Korea. They strung them up over Emma's bed. Here's Emma standing with them on her bed.

Snow fun in February

Robyn, Emma and Aiden were building snow men this day and then chopping them down with Dad's martial arts practice swords. Aiden was too shy to be apart of the pictures. Yes they are my husbands children :)

Robyn and Emma are learning the piano

Robyn started piano again at the beginning of February along with her sister Emma. They have really enjoyed going together and making up songs. Here are a couple of videos of what they have practiced this month.

Emma on the Piano

Robyn on the piano for the ears, with Gwen's cute little face for the eyes.

Animals marching gradually into my home

Yes, slowly Robyn and Emma have convinced me to get a male and female Betta fish and two hermit crabs. They did pay for them by themselves and Robyn has started using them for school. She has spent the past couple of months researching both of them and is now writing a book that is a compilation of all the information she has learned about breading the Betta fish. Who said I needed a writing program to teach her writing? On her own she is making several rough drafts and having Aaron and I edit her writing. While we are doing this we are teaching her the rules of grammar and having her look up words misspelled. My kids amaze me, are they really mine? I'm so grateful for the inspiration to home school. It's nice that I am now starting to see more results.

Now we are really running out of room so the pet purchases are going to have to cease until we are in a larger home. Robyn's dream is to have a small shed in the yard equipped with heating, light, a sink and shelves so she can have a small animal zoo. I can't wait for her to be old enough to volunteer at the zoo or our local humane society!

Here are Star Fire (on the left) and Saferia (on the right)

The hermit crab habitat

Here's Mary. The other one has buried herself. Her name was Joseph until they found out she was a girl. Now it's name is Vi (short for Visick).

Another habitat shot

Great article on education

This morning I was reading an article in the Deseret News that really impressed me and confirmed my ideas that a child will become educated if the parents are involved no matter where they are educated. Also if they follow the spirit to know how to educate their children weather it be in a class room setting or at home. It goes to prove that you don't have to be "highly educated" or a "professional" to end up with successful kids.

Here's a link for those who are interested in reading it.

http://deseretnews.com/article/1,5143,705288178,00.html