Alive and Well!

Yes, we are alive! Life has been very busy as we prepare for the National Scout Jamboree in July. We have 67 days and counting! It is coming quickly, but we are all very excited. We are in the final planning stages and the final sewing stages. All of the council patches still have not arrived as there was an error in the order. As soon as they get here I have 12 shirts to finish! Thank goodness for a mom and grandma to help sew.

The kids are anxious for school to end - Darek and Parker think they are done and are having a hard time finishing (or even starting) term projects. I am also looking forward to summer and no homework - which tends to be a nightmare at our house.

The girls recently participated in the Japanese Festival in S.L. They were models in the fashion show and got to wear some beautiful (and very expensive) family Komono's. They looked stunning and had a great time.

The boys have been busy building a skate ramp that they are welding together as well as working on 4-wheelers and items for National Jamboree. They have also been working on their flyers for their Tractor Mowing Service in hopes of making some good money this summer.

Both are doing good in school, despite their motovation. Darek has adjusted very well to high school. He has become the favorite student of his FFA teacher. He is taking a welding class from this teacher and is so good that the teacher has Darek teach the class on the days he has FFA commitments. He checks Darek out of school, they hire a sub. to supervise and Darek teaches 4 periods a day. This has been an awesome experience for him in that he has learned to have more self-confidence and he realizes how grateful is for his dad teaching him so much. He is also working on getting his learner's permit. He has taken the test twice, but missed passing by one question. Now he is a little worried about taking again and so he keeps putting it off. We just keep encouraging and know he will go for it soon.

Parker is also adjusting to Jr. High. He has some of the same struggles Darek had, but we are learning to cope. He still struggles with reading and writing, but he is making progress. Thanks to Grandma for tutoring him 2 days a week. He doesn't like to go, but it is working and we are confident that he will get to grade level soon. He has been taking an American Sign Language class and has found that he really enjoys it. I, however, am not so sure when he signs to me and won't speak. I worry about what he is calling me because it is usually when he is angry. Oh, well! Maybe that saying of "what you don't know, won't hurt you" is a good thing to keep in mind. He is such a character!!

Becca has made remarkable progress this year and is almost reading at grade level. Ya!!!! She has jumped a whole grade level since last school year. WE are so excited. She has become such a creative writer and loves to write stories. Her imagination is endless. She recently bought some roller blades and is learning to blade. She also has found a love for swimming. She went with the boys to the pool the other night for their scout swim check and she ended up swimming 2 full laps - 2 on her back and 2 with a front stroke. Maybe this will become a new hobby for her.

Rachel is excelling in school - as always! She is our straight A student and thank goodness! I know the Lord understands that I just can't possibly do one more child with disabilities. She is such a jewel in that she does her homework EVERY night without being asked and she LOVES to read. You can always find her wrapped up in a book and most recently chapter books. She also loves to be read to so I have been reading to her and Becca. Since the first of the Feb. we have read The Lion, the witch and the wardrobe, all the Fudge books by Judy Blume and now we are working on Beverly Cleary's Ramona books. We have read 3 and started our fourth one last night. The girls have loved these books. Becca has also got us reading Inkheart, which I'm excited about.

Don and I are just busy being parents - and loving it! As the kids get older it is so fun to spend time with them. They do cause us some grief, but that good times far outway the rough times. We feel so blessed to have happy, healthy and smart kids.

We are headed off to the sand dunes this weekend to have our family time and everyone is excited - even the dogs. They know when the toy hauler comes home their going camping. We hope the weather will cooperate. The last 2 times we have been we have had wind so bad that we have had to come home. We'll keep our fingers crossed.