Our Family Journal: June 2016

Partner Author for this post: Kent!

(He contributed many of the pictures! And he arranged all the plans with his brother Russ so really the whole beautiful day was thanks to them! When I asked if he wanted to say anything about it, he said he just loves getting to read what we write so go ahead. =o] )

(We are studying geology this summer, so on all our hikes we will be identifying rocks and rock formations. Super cool!!)

(Turns out there was snow!)

(Have I mentioned how much I love my sister-in-law D'Ann? Well I do. She is the sweetest girl and my kids all adore her. She is also a hiker extraordinaire!)

(We set up the net for badminton and volleyball. Such a blast!!)

(We went to the graves of Kent's grandparents. On the way we read the kids the story of how they met from our love stories book. While there Russ and Kent shared memories about them. It was cool.)

(I picked them some flowers from our yard. I love giving the gift of home grown flowers!!)

(We tried grilling the corn on the cob and they turned out PERFECT!!)

(Russ texted us a picture of Nan's grave that night once he got back to Provo.)

(I am so grateful for our ancestors who have gone before us and who paved the way for us on the earth. We own much of who we are to them. I love doing Family History work. I love doing Generational work. I learn SO MUCH from my ancestors and am grateful for their love and sacrifices for us!)

Partner Author for this post: Seth!

That's Sethie!

It's a fire! (We are cooking out each Monday, and technically it's not a fire, but I told him it was super hot and not to touch even after the initial lighting of the coals, so I'm impressed he remembered!)

It's blocks on the fire!

The breads! (Scones!)

I'm going that way outside the house.

We're eating them.

The temple!

Uh... I don't know what that is. (It's a sourdough bread starter =o])

That's the water play place!

That's Sethie in the water! I like playing in the water!

That's your scriptures mom.

I don't know.

I don't know mom!

That's Natalie standing by the piano.

It's a puppy!!

We cleaned the basement! That's Jenna!

That's Caleb's soccer game.

We're eating lunch! Mommy I so hungry right now!! That's you mom!

(From fb: Happy Mother's Day! I am so grateful to be a mother! I learn so much from my children and as I try to teach them to be their best I grow in ways I couldn't on my own. I love them with all my heart!!)

I don't know about that.

Natalie! I don't know where she is. That's the temple!

(From fb: I am so happy for Caleb! Today he and his friends wanted to swim in our neighbor's pool. I tried to dissuade them by making them pull weeds in her yard to earn the privilege but they filled a pail without complaining. So then I expressed my real concern that I didn't think he could actually swim in the deep end and didn't want him to drown (I didn't want to embarrass him, but I also didn't want to babysit them back there with so much yard work of my own to do!!) and told him that he could swim with his friends if I pushed him in the deep end and he swam to the side. He said he could. So we went back there, he got a running start and jumped about a third of the way across the pool and then swam to the opposite corner!!! I was so surprised and so happy for him to have learned this life skill! I ran home and got my phone so I could get some pictures of his accomplishment! I love watching my children grow!)

(From fb: I just finished my study of this highly recommended book The Anatomy of Peace. I think The Arbinger Institute has nailed it on the head yet again! As with their previous book (which I also found helpful when I read it in college) Leadership and Self-Deception, they set up a fictional situation to introduce and discuss life changing strategies for resolving conflict and creating peaceful, practical solutions in our relationships. This is my favorite diagram from the book. We should spend most of our time in the bottom sections of this pyramid, and when there is a problem in one level, we go to the level below it and make goals and spend our time and energy there to stabilize the situation. Genius!!! I am so grateful for inspired people who share their ideas so the world can be a better place! I am so grateful for the opportunity I have to study the topics of my choice, so that I can apply them to myself and live a better life!)

That's a game!

That's a big water! We are swimming!!

(I did this detox cleanse thing with a friend and just take a good look at all the nasty stuff that came out! The water was clear when we started people. I think we don't even realize the stress our bodies are under trying to process all the junk we eat, drink, and breathe into them!)

(Natalie took a turn too =o])

(From fb: We are loving our Monday night cookouts!! I want to improve my outdoor cooking skills and also see if we can make our favorites without conventional means!

Today was an old family standby, Chicken Divan. I must say using the Dutch oven adds a rustic flavor I wasn't expecting! But it turned out well and so did the rice. It was only the broccoli that I tried to cook on the side in a separate tinfoil wrap that got overdone.
Here's to a summer to come of fond memories and a dozen transformed recipes!)