Today was a good day :)

We started the day off by watching the Thatchers while their parents went to the temple and out to eat. They have smaller children and my little nurturing girls had a blast at helping to take care of them. We played outside and went on a walk to meet our new neighbors (the Andersons - they are in our ward). We brought them some  homemade salsa and chips and had fun getting to know them. Callie (the mom) seems really nice and her two kids (Drake and Emy) seem like fun, too.

Right after babysitting for the Thatchers, we got to babysit for our good friends, the Muirbrooks. They needed someone for a few hours today and we were happy to do it. The kids had something they look forward ALL summer to - Lemonade Stand! I don't like asking neighbors for money so I haven't been excited about it, but once a summer is okay, I guess :) The girls made about $2.12...they now only need about $1 more to buy what they have been saving for...Carolyn is saving for a stop watch and Angela wants some sunglasses.

Carolyn likes having cooking/baking time with me everyday for our "Mom Time" together. So, we made Carolyn's special Healthy Banana Bread (she changed a recipe we had to make it healthy...no sugar in it, while flour, butter or oil - replaced all that with healthy ingredients like applesauce and whole wheat flour, etc). Anyways - we ate some of that and delivered some to our good friends, the Farnsworths.

When Daddy got home, Daddy and Carolyn went on a date. They held hands and walked together and talked together around the neighborhood. While Daddy and Carolyn were out - I got to go on a walk with Emy and Angela and then read book with them. Angela LOVES me sitting and listening to her "read" so she also read me a Little Critter Book :)

Then we all got ready for bed....had a great discussion while reading family scriptures together (talked a lot about Baptism) and Daddy told a silly story (as most of his stories are strange - they girls love them) about how the girls grew like giants and I shrunk down to Emily size. For family Devotional, Emily taught us about President Monson. We played a trivia question game about his life and i was esp. impressed with Angela. We had read a story earlier in the day about President Monson as a youth saving a girl in a rapid river. Angela recalled the story perfectly!

Then, to end the day most perfectly...Andrew and I talked for a long time (I love talking to Andrew) and we planned our Anniversary Date for next weekend!!!!!! I am so excited for Saturday - we are going to have a blast celebrating our 8 year mark! We are going to the temple to do sealings, going shopping together, going out to eat at TGIFridays, and then going to a movie (Percy Jackson). Excited :) Love that man! Carolyn says she wants to marry Daddy -but I tell her he's already taken so she'll have to find someone just like him - she gets silly and says she wants to marry Daddy. I know I lucked out with that amazing man!

Today we went to Turnberry Elementary School's Open Night. I can't believe Angela is a Kindergartner and Carolyn is advancing to second grade. So exciting for them and sad for me that has to let them go everyday. I have loved homeschooling them over the summer.

I have done a lot of thought about schooling the past few months - well, I am always thinking about it. I would love to homeschool my girls. Furthermore, we have about 5 different Elementary School choices that make where they should go even more difficult. Plus, the fact that the girls MIRACULOUSLY BOTH got into a charter school (Landmark) that I would say 95% of our ward go to. It was crazy they BOTH got in the school - so hard to get in...most people in the ward it took them a few years to get into it.

Anyways, we had to decide. Carolyn and Angela wanted Turnberry even despite the fact that most of our ward goes to Landmark. Carolyn has loved her experience there; she has loved her teachers and has loved her friends and everything about there. Angela has had her mind set on Turnberry as well. I have LOVE Turnberry, too -I couldn't be happier with the people there and the teachers we have encountered. So, Andrew, the girls, and I studied it in our head. It seemed like Turnberry made a lot of sense. They WANT to be there, we love it, etc. The hold back? Most of the ward goes to Landmark (should the girls be in a class that actually has members...strength in numbers? would they want to be there later in life when a lot of their mutual friends are going there?) Also, I am not too thrilled about the middle school the girls will be attending...LOVE Turnberry but not sure how I feel about Stuart Middle School. And I think the chances of them getting into Landmark for Middle School are very slim. Anyways, we heard a talk in April "The Lord's Way" by Elder Ellis where he counseled about when deciding where to live to ask the question "Where are we needed" instead of going about it a more selfish way of "Where is best for me?" So, that's what we started to pray about..."Where are we needed?" I would love to homeschool....Landmark seemed like a great choice too....Turnberry made sense for us now (not necissarily for Middle School - but for now we love it). Anyways, I got my confirmation of my love for Turnberry and it making more sense for our family than homeschooling or Landmark during Stake Conference. As leaders in our stake spoke, I looked down at Carolyn and saw her writing on about 30 different sheets of small pieces of paper. I looked harder and found that she was writing her testimony on those papers to give out to her friends and teacher at Turnberry. That's when the Holy Ghost confirmed my positive thoughts about Turnberry. The Lord needs us at Turnberry. Carolyn is a missionary there...and I need to follow that example of being a missionary there, too. Furthermore, Angela will be a missionary there as well and teach by her amazing sweet example and words.

The Lord further confirmed our decision for Turnberry tonight at the Open Night. I have a great feeling about the Speech Teacher there that we will be using for Angela and hopefully Carolyn as well. She had a warm feeling and is willing to work with Angela weekly for 30 minutes. What a blessing! Her name is Missy and she seems awesome. The other Speech Teacher there (Miss Griffin) is going to look into working with Carolyn so she can get those "R" sounds in! Awesome! This is what Carolyn has been wanting this summer :)

Open Night was great...we do have yet to meet Angela's teacher but know that she is in PM Kindergarton and the other kids in her class and parents seem nice. We will hopefully meet her new teacher in a week and a half :)

Carolyn got Ms Griffin - who seems sweet and will challenge the kids in her class. We had a great feeling about her when meeting her and being in her classsroom! Carolyn got in the same class as some of her friends (such as Mija and Ethan H) and told me she likes to have a lot of new people in her class so she can meet new friends. Our little social butterfly!

Nurturing Angela

The girls did some good reading this summer for the library reading program. Esp. Carolyn - she's older so the challenge was greater. The girls were on vacation and got a little behind in their reading and when we got back from Utah we found that we only had a week left to do a lot of reading in order to get our free Amusement Park tickets. So, Carolyn read over an hour every day to obtain it and we all got it :)

Anyways, today we went to Lakeside Amusement Park. The girls were thrilled that there were two new rides - Captain Hook and Choo Choo Ride.

I think the best park of the entire day was the Staker Ride. Emily sat next to sweet Angela, who LOVES caring for and taking care of Emily and nurturing small children. As the Skater Ride took off a look of complete panic and fear came over Emily's cute little face. Angela grabbed her little sister in her arms and held her as tight as she could while Emily burried her face and clung onto Angela as hard as she could. She knew her sister would take care of her and Angela was thrilled to do it.

My Haircut

Elitches

Today we went to Six Flags Elitches! Andrew has the best work parties - they get us in there for free and even provide lunch for us.

Emily liked most of of rides. I think her favorite was the little boat ride where she got to steer and ring a bell while sailing in real water.

Angela was daring and went on some big rides. Her two favorites were the Spider Ride and the Swinging Boat Ride (her and daddy braved that one).

Carolyn wishes the Spider Ride was in our backyard and wishes we could have spent the entire day on the Spider Ride.

Emily's Farewell