One of the joys of having teenagers

 

One of the many perks of teenage children is waking up to this! Ah brings back fond memories :)

My students of the month!

Every month at my childrens' school the teachers choose two children in their classes as students of the month. One for the character trait of the month and one for academics.


The month of September Shelby received the award for citizenship. Here is what her teacher had to say: "This month the Citizenship Award in Science goes to Shelby Robison. A good citizen helps others and is kind to all. Good citizens also have a delightful attitude and it is very evident to everybody in the class. Shelby is just that person. She works well with others and is a super person to be around. Her smile is infectios and her gentle spirit makes her a good friend. Shelby, you are a beautiful young lady with a bright future ahead. Keep up the good job Shelby!"



Tommy received the academic award for his reading achievements, here is what his teacher said about him: "Thomas Sims is a born student! His growth in 1st grade has been so incredible and I hope he realizes how super smart he is. Thomas has moved up six reading levels (yes six) since he left Kindergarten and can read any chapter book, fiction or non-fiction with excellent fluency and perfect comprehension. Great work Thomas! You are an inspiration to 1st graders everywhere!"

I am so proud of my children and am anxious to see what they decide to do with their talents that Heavenly Father has blessed them with!

Halloween

This Halloween was Eliza's first realization as to what the holiday means for her...........................a princess dress and candy. She could not have been happier! Dylan was a baseball player (again) and Tommy donned the recycled werewolf costume. The kids had a great time at the annual Trunk or Treat and mom was glad there was no door to door Trick or Treating this year. I know I'm a Halloween scrooge!

Boys Weekend

Mike decided he needed a boys weekend and whisked the boys off to a place called Mecca. They have trails in slot canyons with ladders to go up and down and sandstone everywhere. Dylan was a little nervous about the ladders but Thomas wasn't the least bit frightened and went up and down like a pro. The tallest ladder was about 20 ft. and he didn't even hesitate. They had a great time hiking and camping and carving their names all over the canyon walls. Thomas was definitely in his element, no mom, no showers and dirt as far as the eye could see! It was a weekend the boys will never forget.

My Martha.......................

I just realized I did not take the time to commemorate Martha's 17th birthday! I decided to take Martha to Hearst Castle up the California coast for her birthday. It was a fun one on one girls weekend for us. To think about Martha I will always remember the first time I met this bubbly, talkative, friendly, smiling little 9 year old girl. She has been full of surprises and love since we became a family and I cannot believe she is on the cusp of becoming an adult! She has a mind of her own and I am anxious to see how she tackles this world :). I love you Martha and I hope you will always remember that.

School Days

Summer has to come to an end sometime. Today the younger kids started and of course the hottest day we have had yet this year happens to be today! Martha and George went back this past Monday. Martha is a Junior (WOW) and George is a Sophomore. Shelby is the big 8th grader on campus. Dylan has hit the middle school in mighty 6th. Thomas is the new kid in 1st. I can't say enough about my children and how much I love and appreciate their efforts and their beautiful personalities. I love my house of diversity and there is never a dull moment. The older kids will not pose for first day pictures anymore, but the little ones are still in my control MWWAAAHAHAHA.







I do have this one of Martha I snapped a couple of weeks ago :]

St. George

The drive from Idaho to California can be quite long, so we stopped in St George at Heather's house for a couple of days before heading home. We love the Fonger family! What a great group of little men my sister has raised. It is Thomas' favorite place to go. We had a great time at the reservoir and the movie in the park. Of course beach day is not complete without a GIANT hole!

Conference Center

On our way home from Idaho we stopped in SLC to see some sights. A couple of the kids had never been on temple square before and none of us had toured the conference center. We started with a tour of the conference center. Our tour guide was fantastic and she was so patient with the little ones that had just been in the car for four hours. What an amazing, inspired building it is! Everything was done so beautifully and the hall where the portraits of the prophets are was one of our favorite places. The pinnacle of the tour was the rooftop. For those that have been there know what I'm talking about and for those who haven't, YOU HAVE TO GO!! Words cannot describe the beauty of the view and the gardens. You can feel the spirit in that building and it is a testimony builder that God lives and has given us so many wonderful resources to spread his true gospel!

IDAHO

This summer we were able to spend two weeks up in Rexburg with my family. It was beautiful weather and great to spend time with my parents and siblings. While we were there a large fire was burning west of Rexburg and it brought in clouds and a crazy tinted sky. The effects of the sky behind the Rexburg temple were beautiful!



Grandpa took the kids for rides on his "Hog"



Did some canoeing in Island park



Spent some time with new baby Lily



And played in the mud!



It was a great way to spend part of the summer.

Happy Birthday Eliza!!

Better late than never! Eliza turned 3 on July 2, 2010. What a beautiful little spirit our Heavenly Father sent to us. She has been the light of our family since she got here. For her birthday she went to the swimming pool and to see Toy Story 3. We had a Toy Story 3 theme party and cake for her. She is so excited to go to "Sandy's preschool" now that she is three. She is so smart and beautiful inside and out and she had made our Sims family complete.

Catalina Island

The first week of June I went with the 7th and 8th grades classes from Shelby's school on a field trip to Catalina Island. It was really cold, but we had a great time. The kids learned about marine life and were able to scuba dive and kayak. We had a little hike to an overlook of the bay and our camp. I did some kayaking too but skipped the scuba diving, that wet suit looked scary to get into! Here are some pics of my baby girl.

Finally finished!

After a few delays and a little frustration my beautiful backyard is finally finished! Here are some before and after pictures to WOW you :)!

Sweet Concrete!

Here are some pictures of our beautiful newly poured concrete. The last one is where the fire pit is going in. This was poured a week ago and hopefully by next Friday I will post pictures of my completed backyard!

My new trees!

I love, love, love my new queen palm trees! They were planted yesterday and I LOVE them! We are having the concrete poured tomorrow or Friday and next week is all sprinklers, plants and sod. The process has gone so smooth and quick. I can't wait to have my first backyard BBQ party!

Dylan as Ponce de Leon

Dylan's 5th grade class learned all about colonization and early explorers this semester. They put on a musical play yesterday and Dylan played Ponce de Leon the famous explorer known for spending his life looking for the fountain of youth. He was really nervous but did a fantastic job! Here is a picture of Dylan and a couple of his buddies. Of course Thomas can never be left out......

Shelby's First Middle School Dance

The Charter School has one middle school dance a year. It is more of a party than a dance. The kids are not allowed to wear jeans and they are encouraged to dress up a bit. Some girls go almost prom style! There is a huge back story about allowing Shelby to go and I will spare the details. In the end I did let her go. We went dress shopping and fixed her hair so cute! The dress was perfect for her and I talked her into hot pink shoes to go with it and it was beautiful! She was picked up by a couple of friends and they all looked beautiful! She has made some fabulous girl friends at this school and she had a great time!