Don't tell the state troopers...and brothers

Austin turned 14 right after Christmas.  He also just passed the 6 feet tall mark.  6 and 1/4 inch to be exact... Though the boys say he's at least 6'3" with his puffy hair.  Gotta love curls...

So this New Year's Eve Austin was able to go to the stake dance.  The regional dance was out in Filer.  It's so nice to have Dallin and Landon driving! Nothing ruins a  New Year more than a drive to the middle of nowhere at midnight.  Austin said his brothers taught him some useful tricks at the dance.  Austin was having trouble asking a specific girl to dance and Dallin put his arm around him and asked "who's your target?"  Then he helped him get 'in position' to make asking easier.  Being a teenage boy is harder than it looks!

When the boys came home from the dance they had a confession.  Dallin got pulled over because one of the headlights on the suburban was out.  

He didn't have his license so he used Landon's.  

They said the cop didn't even look twice. 

Having a brother can be an advantage in so many ways!

Poem 2013

I am finishing up 2013--getting ready to print.  I did our last books on blurb but I am in the market for a different publisher.  Any favorites?

Christmas this year
seemed quick as a wink. 

Time moves faster each year,

don't you think?!

Our highlight was Jackson

So fun and carefree

Our biggest achievement?

 wrapped presents under the tree!

His favorite gift 

was crawly and creepy

Hex bugs zip around

'til they make us all sleepy. 

A Christmas delivery

came from Paisley herself,

ten pups she delivered 

with no help from an elf! (only from me!)

The puppies are darling

they are already growing.

We think it's so fun

to see new life glowing!

The older's and younger's

all like the same things--

electronics and clothes

seem to make them all sing.

Jenna still likes dolls

Benson loves his new scooter

Austin schemes for new app's

on our new Mac computer. 

Dallin and Landon

are easy to please--

music, clothes and some money

cover all of their needs. 

Rustin and I are just happy 

to have everyone close.

Our kids bring us joy

more than anyone knows. 

Happy 2014!

Exciting changes!

 School started again!  

We start late here--Tuesday was our first day of school.  When budgets got tight in Idaho a few years ago they cut the school days by three or four so they could pay the teachers less.  It was really a big sacrifice by all the teachers so that our district extra-curricular classes could all remain intact.  Drama, chess, soccer, choir, football--we still have them all!
Along with three recesses a day for elementary kids.
I love our schools!

 High School

 Elementary

However, I don't love sending the kids back to school.  I really, really hate when school starts.  I get this physical reaction.  My heart beats faster and I have this constant subtle feeling of impending doom.
I like having the kids home.  I think having them here helps me stay focused and on task.  The start of this Fall was better for me though.



I have been excited for all the great activities the kids have and I am a little more confident in my ability to manage all the crazy schedules all by myself.  

Middle School

My driving life is a little easier this year because---
We bought our own optometry practice!!
Rustin is no longer an employee!!
Rustin's new office is right up the road from the middle school and they both start at 8 AM so Austin gets to ride with his dad instead of on the bus.  That gives him enough time to get piano practicing done before school.  Yea for both of them!
We bought into Gary and Jared Walker's practice--Eastland Vision Clinic.
 Rustin and Jared both work four days a week and Gary will come in on Thursdays and Fridays when Rustin or Jared is out. The office is brand new and beautiful with an on-site lab and a fantastic optical shop.  Rustin's schedule is already packed.  What a blessing! 

So Jack and I are home alone until 3.  

Jack MISSES his kids. 

 He drags me all over the place trying to get me to play with him.  

'C'mere Mom, C'mere.'
All. day.
But he smiles and giggles and snuggles so all is well.

Sunday.

We had the yummiest muffins today!  

Zucchini banana muffins.

Jackson randomly takes bites out of the muffins... 

 A neighbor gave us an 18 inch zucchini and that sucker was enough for TEN dozen muffins!  

In an effort to get my kids to stop eating super healthy snacks (as pictured below)...

I have been searching out and testing some healthier recipes. 

I especially want to find some non-cold cereal options that are quick and easy. Maybe frozen?

I have seen a recipe for blender pancakes but haven't tried it yet.  

Has anyone tried pancakes made from wheat berries?  

I'd really like to have a freezer full of good breakfast choices so Dallin and Landon don't eat toast and hot chocolate every. single. day. for the next school year.  Once school starts those boys will have 12-13 hour days every day of the week until wrestling is over in March.  They need some good healthy food!

We checked an item off our summer list and went to the drive-in a while ago.  We saw Planes.  I'm sure it was good but I pretty much spent the entire drive-in trying to get everyone comfortable.  By the time the kids settled down on our two gigantic bean bags and stopped jostling each other, the second movie, Monsters University, was half over and I fell asleep.  But it was still fun anyway!

We start our last week of summer tomorrow! Yee-hah!

Checking off our list...

We went camping this weekend. 

Though I'm not sure it counts as camping if you get to stay in a cute little cabin...

 

It was built in 1946 and it has a cool wood cook stove and an ice box.  There is still a type written paper of instructions on the wall about how to start the stove and where to find the coal oil. 

 "And don't forget to empty the pan under the ice box..."

It was cute.  

Dallin and Landon came up late Thursday night after work. 

Just in time to stoke up the fire after the 'youngers' were asleep.

Can I just mention?--I started that fire with one match and NO PAPER.

Thankyouverymuch.

The kids reluctantly saved them s'more stuff. YUM!

 Friday we took the 4-wheelers and motor bike and rode down to Ross Falls for a hike.  It is more like Ross trickle this time of year but we all had fun on the hike up and climbing around on the rocks.

Afterward this cute girl learned to drive a 4-wheeler all by herself.

I am the official sit-behind-and-teach-the-kids-how-to-shift kind of mom.  Probably because the slow speed of the learners is right up my alley!

Benson also moved up to the driver's seat.  He has a harder time shifting--especially when he is wearing his big sister's sandals (because his are MIA...). He will be a great driver though. No doubt!

Paisley didn't like being left behind.  She followed us on a couple of short rides.  

She is one athletic dog!

 Of course the dogs had plenty of play time in the dirt.  

Sheesh. 

So. dirty.

 Saturday morning we all loaded up to go to the hummingbird feeders.

 We actually put Austin and Benson behind Rustin and Jenna and I rode little Red.  I suppose we need another 4-wheeler...
Landon's bike lost one of the pins that holds the handle bar to the frame just after we headed out, (Rustin went back to check on him when we all stopped and he wasn't with us...)
so Landon stayed behind at the cabin.
We were so grateful he didn't lose it while riding! 

Someone started this hummingbird feeding area 20+ years ago and now there are dozens of different kinds of hummingbirds buzzing around at any given moment.  We could hear the thrumming of their wings.

We went on a great ride up to the top of the hills.

The view of the valley was a patchwork of fields and little towns.  

We could even see the temple way off on the horizon.  

Beautiful. 

When we got home Jackson cried and cried to have another ride on the "mow-tow-cy-ko." 

I think he was mostly just tired.  As were we all.  

And we definitely gave our hot water heater a workout--I think we had a tub full of sludge 

after every bath (dogs included!)!

A perfect weekend for sure!

Fourth of July

Parade in  Lewiston

The fourth of July is one of my favorite holidays.  Actually every holiday is one of my favorites but I especially love summer!

This year we had our Hatch family reunion over the fourth.  Jotham and Jamie were in charge. We all met at Darren and LoaLee's house where we did service projects.

Aren't Jot and Jamie creative?!  Such a fun family picture!

We did some great projects.  And true to the Hatch heritage, the kids worked and worked and worked!  I was truly impressed!  

We built a riding arena.  

With very. heavy. fence. panels.

And then we painted...

We hauled rocks.  And more rocks.  And more rocks.  

Franklin has no end of rocks!  

We put them in the flower beds and it looks great!

Did I mention that we all got dirty...

Then of course we had some time for fun: 

Parade in Lewiston in our matching t-shirts (and we got enough candy to last the rest of the weekend!)...

Fireworks in the driveway...

Swimming at the lake...

 We also drove tractors and played games...

 We enjoyed some beautiful scenery...

And most of all we spent time together. 

It was a great weekend.  With a great family!

Treasures

I love summer.  I think I must have been on the flower planning committee in my previous life.  There is nothing that soothes my soul like the beautiful world we live in.  Especially in summer.

Last weekend we went to Franklin and it was exactly the spirit renewing experience that I have been needing.

One night we went up to Willow Flat for tinfoil dinners and a hike up to the spring.  The path follows next to the spring creek as it tumbles over beaver dams and winds through the beautiful green trees, bushes and flowers.

I soon found myself behind because I kept stopping to look at the way the flowers grew around each other  and in natural flowing clumps.  Perfectly in balance.

 In the evening shade I watched a couple of dandelions close their flowering heads and I realized that they are beautiful.  At home I would have pulled the yellow heads off in disgust but up on the mountain trail they fit just perfectly in the landscape.  Everything has a purpose.

When a big fat shiny beetle scurried across my path I stopped to watch him make his way.  At home I would have smashed him and thrown him outside.

As we were walking back we ran into Darren on the path.  As he and I walked along he remarked that the beauty of the mountain is how we know that we have a mother in heaven.  I mentioned that I wish she could teach me how to make my yard look like the beautiful mountainside.  The thought immediately popped in my head, "I already have."

I'm so grateful to live in a land of beauty where the earth as it has been created is appreciated by the people who live on it.

On Sunday (Father's Day) we went to the Franklin cemetery where we could honor and remember all our fathers.  The night was perfect.  Just cool enough for short sleeves in comfort.  The sun was setting behind us and there weren't any bugs.  Darren and his mom, Elva told us about our many fathers.  They shared so many stories about their lives.

I especially love one story about Darren's dad.  LaVar and his brother were walking along the dirt road that leads from Logan to Franklin to attend the celebrated Idaho Days parade.  As they walked along the dusty road in their bare feet, a big black car pulled up and the door opened.  The man inside asked the boys where they were headed and they replied that they were going to the Idaho Days parade in Franklin.  The man in the car offered them a ride and they climbed in.  He took LaVar's cheeks in his hands and asked "do you know who I am?" LaVar didn't recognize his benefactor.  Then the man told him that he was the prophet.  The boys were thrilled and their mother was embarrassed that her boys met the prophet barefoot in their dusty clothes!

I am grateful to be so blessed.  It's always so nice to have things put in perspective. The truly important things don't change.  There will always be something more to be purchased or fixed but in the end, time spend learning about eternal truths is where my true riches lie.