SCHOOLS OUT!!

We are SOOOO EXCITED to finally be done with school for the year! This is Rhett's preschool group. Yes, he is the only boy. We started with 2 boys, but the other one moved. He didn't seem to mind and had a great time with these 3 sweet little girls. Because it was a "Mommy Preschool" we had our turn one week every month to teach and he thought it was SO COOL to have them come to our house. I actually really liked doing preschool this way and he learned so much! He is definitely ready for Kindergarten in the Fall.
Dallin just finished 1st grade. His favorite day was the one where his teacher announced to the whole class that he had the best handwriting and so he didn't have to do the handwriting assignment that day and got to do something fun instead while the rest of the class did their work. He is a smart little dude. These skittles he won at the awards assembly....his certificate was sent home the day before.

Oakley just finished 4th grade and has had a great year. She got straight A's as always and we are so proud of her. Her teacher commented several times as to what a joy it was to have Oakley in her class. She was amazed at how well she juggles school and diabetes. We are always amazed by this sweet little girl!

With the end of the school year comes the end of babysitting our baby Jade. Jade's mom works at a school so she has summers off. We are going to miss her like crazy. Just look how much she has grown and changed over the 7 months we have had her.
When I told Rhett we were going to be finished babysitting her he cried and I got alot of "it's not fair!"

Also with the end of school this year came Memorial Day. We always try to take our kids to the cemeteries to understand why we celebrate Memorial Day. This year we made a trip on Sunday to Wilford - where we happened to run into Ryan's Romrell grandparents and then up to Ashton to see the new headstone on Ryan's grandma Hawkins grave. On Monday I took my kids with a few of their cousins to the cemetery in Idaho Falls. We always go with my parents and grandparents. I LOVE hearing all the stories they tell my kids about those we are there to see.
We also every Memorial Day attend the Annual Jacobson Picnic. It is a HUGE event now that there are so many of us. It is always SO FUN to see my cousins and their kids. My sweet aunt always has such fun games planned for the kids. This is their relay races. She had fruit and veggie teams. This was the oranges team, there was also a green beans team and a blueberries and cherries team. She had some really fun "minute to win it" games for the adults to play too.

So far we have had a GREAT first week with NO SCHOOL and we are looking forward to a summer full of fun!!

National Clogging Championship 2010

This year Oakley qualified once again to go to Nationals for clogging. My sweet mother-in-law and my 2 sisters-in-law decided to all go with us. It was alot of fun having all 8 grandkids from that side of the family come.

Here are a few of the kids lining up to ride a ride. We did ALOT of ride riding that day. The weather was cold, but it could have been SO MUCH WORSE, so we were happy with what we got.

Me and my sweet little dancer!! I AM SO PROUD OF HER!

The girls were FREEZING in their costumes. I was SO GRATEFUL that we have the clogging teacher that we do because she ALWAYS has our girls in modest costumes. They were cold in what they were wearing and they were covered.....there were a few groups there that barely had any clothes on their dancers. I felt so bad for them.

Oakley got 4 first places and 1 second place on her solos and her group got a 1st and 2nd on their dances. She did soo good! We are looking forward to going to Lagoon again next year!

(Thanks again Grandma Hawkins....we couldn't have done it without you! and Thanks to Grandpa & Grandma Romrell *AKA "the greats" * we appreciate you making the trip and sitting in the cold more than you will ever know!)

Here I Am, Send Me

Those who know me know that I am not a book reader. I do try to faithfully read my scriptures, but other than those and the ensign, I am not a book reader. So I decided that as a favor to me I needed to start getting some books from the library - for myself - when I take my kids. I ONLY get church books, mostly because I am JUST NOT INTO make-believe stuff. I also ONLY get shortish books that I know I can finish because I don't want to start something I can't finish, that is not how I work. This new found book reading has been WONDERFUL! I have read a few books lately that I love. I just finished Daughters of God by M. Russell Ballard and loved it. It is just 3 of his talks combine into a book. (Whoever thought of doing that was a genius!) The last talk was titled As Women of God. (I tried to find it on LDS.org, but couldn't....sorry) I wanted to share my FAVORITE PART because it is so powerful for all of us who know we are Daughters of God.

When God asked who would come to earth to prepare a way for all mankind to be saved and strengthened and blessed, it was Jesus Christ who said, simply, "Here am I, send me." Just as the Savior stepped forward to fulfill His divine responsibilities, we have the challenge and responsibility to do likewise.

"Father, if you need a woman to rear children in righteousness, Here am I, send me."
"If you need a woman to make a house a home filled with love, Here am I, send me."

If you need a woman who will shun vulgarity and dress modestly and speak with dignity and show the world how joyous it is to keep the commandments, Here am I, send me."

"If you need a woman who can resist the alluring temptations of the world by keeping her eyes fixed on eternity, Here am I, send me."

Today more than ever, we need women of faith, virtue, vision, and charity. We need women who can hear and will respond to the voice of the Lord, women who at all costs will defend and protect the family. We don't need women who want to be like men, sound like men, dress like men, drive like men, or act like men. We do need women who rejoice in their womanhood and have a spiritual confirmation of their identity, their value, and their eternal destiny. Above all, we need women who will stand up for truth and righteousness and decry evil at every turn, women who will simply say "Here am I, Lord, send me."

Flag Football

Dallin and his cousin JD played flag football this year both in the Fall and Spring. We had our last FB Game last night. Dallin had so much fun playing. He did tell me yesterday, however, that he does not want to play again in the Fall because he had to miss too much hunting this past year. HE IS ONLY 7 AND HE IS ALREADY WORRIED ABOUT HUNTING!!:)

He had a really good coach in the Fall and was the only one on the team that caught a pass! Of course, it was the only pass they attempted - which made it even better that he caught it! This Spring season he played defense almost every game, so he was just busy chasing them down to pull flags. He is sure a sports lover with a pretty PROUD MOMMY!

LOOK MOM.....

No Training Wheels!

Rhett has been begging me to take his training wheels off and about a month ago I had him jump on Dallin's bike to see how ready he was....umm.....not at all. Well, alot has happened in a month. On Saturday (when I was puking my guts out) he asked his dad to take them off and Ryan said he didn't even have the 2nd training wheel out of his hand before Rhett jumped on and rode away. Ryan didn't have to help him at all!! Yay Buddy!

Rhett also buttoned his own church shirt on Sunday. Which to most is probably not too impressive, but to a mom of 4 children and a childlike husband that is getting everybody ready on Sunday morning it is a HUGE accomplishment! He is growing like crazy!

P.S. Oh, and Yes, his bike is pink. It is Oakley's hand-me-down. We talked about getting him a new one, but when he said he wanted another pink one with a basket :) for his carebear to ride in we decided he was cool to just keep the pink one he has. (Remember.... he is still trying out his girlie side a little!)

The Crippled Lamb

Have any of you read the story "The Crippled Lamb" by Max Lucado?

This story (which I love) is about a sweet little lamb named Joshua that was born crippled and therefore couldn't do what the other little lambs could do. He would get very upset and hurt when he was always last. When the time comes for the sheep to be moved to the higher meadow Joshua is told by the loving shepherd that he must stay behind; that he isn't strong enough to make the journey. Joshua feels hurt and betrayed. Of course there is a wise old cow that explains to Joshua that we are all special and all have our own place in the world.

Meet our very own live version of "The Crippled Lamb." This little lamb is Dallin's and his name is Brownie. Brownie got a disease called Navel Ill that causes pain in the joints and he is slowly dying. It has been hard to watch him hurt. He can no longer walk without doing so on his knees or being carried. Luckily, he is very friendly and loves to be held and cuddled.

Brownie is Dallin's lamb, but my two sweet little girls have kind of taken over caring for him. The girls have the "nurturing motherly" instinct and naturally want to care for him.

In the story, because Joshua is left behind he - just so happens - to be in the stable the night that the Savior of the world is born. Joshua also gets the opportunity to snuggle the new baby because they had no clothes for him and Joshua knew his wool would be warm. Just like Joshua, Brownie is also a SPECIAL LAMB. He has brought out a tenderness in my children that I love to watch. He has caused us to have a spirit of kindness. It hurts to watch him hurt, but it is amazing to watch him be strong. Who knew we would learn so much from one "Crippled Little Lamb."

Basement Update

Remember THIS:

And THIS?

It is now, THIS

And THIS!!

I know it is REALLY hard to tell anything from the pictures, but atleast you can see progress!

So....we aren't finished YET!, but we are definitely getting closer. We decided we had to do it in a two step process, so we are finishing the family room and THEN we will finish Laiklie's room and the bathroom. Why a two step process you ask?? WELL, the biggest reason is the room that will be Laiklie's is holding the gun cabinet and desk until the family room is finished PLUS it still has about a dump truck load of COAL in it!! So, ANYONE NEED ANY COAL?