June/July Events 2012

Once again another month has come and gone without any blogging! I looked over my calendar to see what excitement I could share from the past month. The majority of it looked like: grocery shop, piano lessons, plan menu, exercise, laundry, church, mutual, smog the car, library, wash dog, etc. etc. But here are some high lights:

Some wonderful friends from church invited us over for Family Home Evening. They had just bought chicks, and the kids got to hold them and we learned all about caring for chickens (which we hope to raise some day).

Emma Leigh has started "helping" with family chores. She loves the little Swiffer mop that picks up all the dirt and Marley's hair. I wasn't paying attention though today and she took it outside. I found her mopping the dirt under the swing set and on the patio!

LOVE the shoes! 

I have a couple videos where you can hear her cute, little voice. It's not always cute and little (she has a BIT of a temper) but she sure is talking a lot and she understands everything you say.

  

I found this great article in a church magazine about a Family Home Evening idea that we implemented this year. We (the parents) at the end of each school year make up "clues" listing some of each child's accomplishments from that school year. Everyone guesses who it is (yes, it's quite obvious) and the child is rewarded with a little present. It was cute and positive, and just for fun I thought I would share what we had to say about Savanna.

-Played the piano at 3 baptisms and once in Sacrament Meeting 

-Completed her first year of Seminary and was awarded the Stake President's Award for reading all of the scriptures assigned in the Old Testament 

-Survived her first rafting trip 

-Completed her first semester of Algebra I  

-Was called to be the Mia Maid President 

-Bought her first Smart Phone 

-Completed 90 days of Turbo Fire 

-Perfected the art of tortilla chip and popcorn making 

-And....(drum roll please) is a self-taught front-flipper and fishtail-braider! 

Savanna has been having a wonderful summer so far. She had a blast on her white water rafting trip. Then she went to girl's camp in Santa Ynez, then she headed to UCSB for a week long Especially for Youth camp, and she leaves AGAIN tomorrow to spend 3 days in Ventura for Youth Conference. She met some very nice girls at EFY and her dorm even had an ocean view. She was asked to speak in Sacrament about what she learned at EFY, and she talked about how her testimony grew, how she has a strong feeling that she has a personal mission to accomplish, and that keeping the commandments would help her find out what that is- sounds good to me!

Savanna and her roomie, Grace, at EFY.

 Benjamin is doing great- he joined a summer reading group at the library and has been reading a bunch of books on his own. I am going to be starting a classic book group for him and Brad in the Fall which they are both looking forward to. Ben hopes to also start 4H or possibly Karate. He has also been practicing his break dancing under his big sister's mentorship! Some of Ben's accomplishments this past school year:

-Became class president of his Sunday School

-Read his first Dr. Seuss book without help

-Memorized Article of Faith #5 and D&C 88:119-126

-Gave a great talk in primary, also without any help

-Fixed our coffee table

-Is an amazing artist, tracer, thank you card writer, and painter

-Made a tank out of a cardboard box

-Loves his baby Emma

-Is the Co-Creator of the World Famous Salad Bar

-And....is a basketball STAR!

Funny Benjaminism of the month: 
 

"Do you think that guy in the Insanity videos is PhotoShopped?" To which Brad replied, "No way! He's just really that ripped!"

Bradley's ankle is finally healing but is STILL swollen. We took him to the doctor and he said that the swelling would eventually go down on its own. Fortunately it's not causing him any pain. He is having a wonderful summer riding bikes with the neighbor kids, reading a TON, jumping on the trampoline, and playing with his brother. Some of Brad's accomplishments this past school year:

- Completed his first year of piano lessons

-Completed his fourth year of soccer

-Received many belt loops and badges in his cub scout den

-Was baptized!

-Read his first two full-length novels (Harry Potter)

-Has transitioned into the Love of Learning phase

-Loves his family

-Is the Creator of the World Famous Salad Bar

-Wrote the hit single, "Dead on the Street" for his music belt loop

-Wrote his first primary talk, by himself

Funny Bradleyism of the month:

While watching the first Harry Potter movie he says, "I have a question." I figured that even though he read the book he may not have understood it all and was waiting for him to ask about some crucial part of the plot or character development. But then he asks, totally serious and pensive, "How do they get Draco Malfoy's hair to look so good ALL of the time?" I just didn't have an answer for that one!

 James is off on Sundays!! It's been awesome going to church together. He still has training until mid-August and then we will find out his permanent station and shift.

Emma's first time picking strawberries at the Rutiz farm! They now have chickens which she insists on feeding every time we pick up our produce. She REALLY likes chickens!

Ben and Em at the annual 4th of July Breakfast.

 I am going to update my fitness blog this week so I won't take too much time here to share (you can go to www.teambeachbody.com/holliwyett and click on blog for more details). BUT, I just started a new program this past Monday. It's actually a hybrid program. I am doing Les Mills Pump (based on BodyPump, a group fitness class) Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, and I am doing Insanity on Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday. Yeah, this makes P90X and Turbo Fire look like child's play! Wow, it's a good work out! I have been slacking a little since James got home. I re-did all of my measurements and pictures and I am COMMITTED to getting these last few pounds off and toning my mid-section.

I will post pictures mid-October when I complete this 90 day program!!  

Oh, and just had to share this cute menu board Benjamin helped me make! The kids and I made index cards of all of our favorite dinners. We wrote the ingredients and instructions on the back so each week I simply pick 7 cards, jot down the ingredients on my shopping list, and we are good to go- simple and useful! Benjamin did an awesome job decorating them too!

June/July 2012