Family Fun

It's all fun and games until someone gets hurt. Time out to eat and relax.

Balancing and Posing at the same time!

Playing catch with Dad

Enough fun at the park. Let's go to the Library!

Our typical haul.

Looking pretty after collecting eggs.

Our lovely girls hiding under the coop.
They deserve some rest after the hard work of producing enough eggs for breakfast and leftovers for Easter!

Building sandcastles.

Trekking up the sand hill...to more sand.

Let's bury the boys!

Good thing Daddy's here to do the hard work! (don't worry, I helped)

Complete!

Blogging

I decided to start blogging for a few reasons. 

• It's a way to hold myself accountable. I know that I don't just sit around all day, but I want to be able to show something for what I do. I want my kids to be able to see that I'm not just on my phone on Facebook! really, I'm not.
• I am really bad at journaling. I have a ton of barely started, no where close to filled journals. The only journal that is anywhere close to having anything of significance is the journal I used to write to Damon while he was deployed. Since his death I have used it to write to him around significant events, like our first daughter's baptism and anniversaries. 
• I want to have an account of my life now. While I think and speak of Damon often, he is not here. Chris is. I learned a lot from my marriage and subsequent widowhood. I take more pictures, I laugh, I sing, I play, I forgive, I apologize, I take risks, I love. This is a place for me to show all that I have to be thankful for. 
• I want to show all of the cool things I'm learning! The past year or so I've been really interested and excited about "prepping." I love learning new things, especially things that are useful. I have a lot of goals for this year that hopefully won't fall to the wayside with all of the other plans and goals that come up out of nowhere.
• And my newest excuse: I need to "document" my homeschooling adventure. Apparently the lenient laws of Idaho do not necessarily mean that I can just stay home and play with my kids for the next 8 years and expect my oldest to just get into college or get a job without showing what she has done her whole life. So expect lots of pictures, rants, hair pulling...actually, I have no idea what to expect, so just enjoy whatcha get ;)

Deschooling: Week 1

I began my homeschooling experience just one week ago. My process of digging deep down inside of myself, and talking to my husband, and finally pulling my girls out of school took two whole days (after months of researching and years of dreaming). And then, it just happened. I knew it had to be done and that I couldn't ignore the issues or come up with anymore excuses.

One week already?? 

It actually doesn't seem like it's been a week. It just feels like it's been a really long Saturday!

The first day was very interesting. I woke up with the expectation of the girls just having a fun day, and that I would be the one with any scheduling issues. (I have issues with calenders and lists and planning and stressing...) I really did not expect my 7 year old to question me about the day. 

When do we get recess? When do I have to do math? Can I teach (5yr old brother) to read? He needs to learn to read! After recess do I have to...? 

It kept coming and coming until I finally stopped her and explained that Today, we are just going to play. She didn't understand. The look on her face was pretty funny. She couldn't comprehend the idea of playing all day. And then the questions changed. 

When do I get to go to school? Will I get to see my friends? Can I read? Can I still learn? When do we get to start homeschool?

She was genuinely concerned that she was not allowed to learn. Silly girl! This started a whole new conversation (that I thought we had covered before) about learning from our environment, from life, from play, from chores (insert evil laugh and hand rubbing here). 

Overall the past week has been great. It's been relaxed. The kids have had fun and even learned a little too! 

My favorite parts:

No time constraints! 

No fights about bed time or waking up in the morning.

No grumpy butts in the morning or fighting to get out the door on time.

The kids have actually been playing together! (Imagine 4 kids in the bath-together! It started out as one and the others gradually made there way in. There was lots of laughing, screaming, splashing, bubbles, and FUN!)

I've been making friends! (total introvert here...) This whole experience has opened up conversations between acquaintances.

My family is together!

My least favorite parts:

My house is a mess.

My craft room is no longer mine.

I had to wake up early to have time on the computer (alone).

Gardening is no longer quiet alone time for me. 

Prompted to Remember

I was thinking of Joseph Smith and the different ways he has been an example to me. This is a completely random thought for me. I don't usually dwell on Joseph Smith...but yesterday morning was different.

My family began an adventure in homeschooling, but the way it came about was not such a great experience. This is what led me to Joseph Smith.

Joseph Smith was a boy when he began questioning those around him. He was not sure which church to belong to. He questioned the priests and ministers. He questioned his parents and siblings. He went so far as to question his Father in Heaven. And he received an answer. 

If Joseph Smith, a boy of 14, could question his Heavenly Father, and know that he would receive an answer, can't I? Shouldn't I be able to trust that the answer I receive is true? Shouldn't I trust that answer and follow its guidance?

I should, and I did. 

I am thankful for Joseph Smith's example. I am thankful for the Holy Ghost in prompting me to remember him and to think of him this morning.

My Love won't miss a thing.

I'm using this blog to document all of the projects/ideas/crazy things going on in my life. I'm using it as a way to prove that I am living, that I'm not just going with the flow, that my life has a purpose and I'm not just here going crazy.

My first husband Damon was killed in Iraq almost 7 years ago. His biggest regret of deploying was that he was missing out on so much. He missed the birth of our second baby girl. He was killed only 6 weeks before he was to come home for R&R. I have missed having him here for so many adventures, but this blog is my way of showing that he is here, all around us, and that he's really not missing a thing.

Damon and Ashley 2005

Iraq 2007