May 2018

We hit the ground running in May.  On the 1st Naomi and Ashley tried out for the talent show.  That evening Naomi had her first temple recommend interview in preparation for going to the temple with Grandma and Grandpa when we are in Utah in June.  Jeremy met with the bishop to be interviewed for his advancement to the Melchizedek priesthood.  Everyone is growing up way too fast.

May 2nd was bottle rocket day at the middle school and I got to be there.  The entire 7th grade spent the day on the football field while each of the science classes got a chance to try out their bottle rocket designs.  It was so much fun to cheer on all the groups.

May 3rd Naomi and Ashley found out they had made it into the talent show.  They were both really excited and surprised.

May 4th Mrs Tilley and I got to substitute for the 8th graders that stayed behind on the field trip.  It was a small day - there were only 18 kids.  We played games and watched "Second Hand Lions".  It was a good day.  Steve picked Nick up early from school in order to go to a Priesthood Commemoration Campout so Naomi and I stayed after for the movie club.

May 5th Steve and Nick worked on Nick's Eagle project and I took Naomi to her soccer game.  They WON!!!  It was really cool to watch because this team has grown so much since the beginning of the season.

Naomi and Naomi.  They were both playing the same position and it got a little confusing, but they loved it.  

Chilling during half-time. 

Naomi is playing goalie.  She is really good, but it still makes me nervous.  I stand and yell, "DEFENSE!" anytime the ball gets anywhere near the goal.  

The young man in the middle of the picture is named Jake.  He and Naomi had a good time playing together.  He was my favorite because whenever she was in the goalie box he would play an extra-intense level of defense.  

Good- Game line

Finishing up with the staining. 

Nick was being silly!  When I tried to take his picture while staining he grabbed a hammer and posed with that instead.  

The signs are finally all ready to install 

That night, for Cinco de Mayo, we had the Ball and Arias families over for a Cafe Rio dinner.  It was a fun night of great friends, good food and relaxing in some hammocks Steve got while on his mission in Mexico.  These are the moments that make life so much fun and worth all the other stuff.  

May 8th I was fitted for my crown.  It wasn't terrible but I don't want to do it anytime soon.  The grinding down of the tooth was the worst part.  I wasn't too fond of the temporary crown either. 

May 11th we all went to Hind's Feet to install the last of the signs.  We worked fast and furious to get all the signs in place before it got dark.  As we were placing the last sign it really started to rain, but we did get it all done!!!  It was so much fun to get everything done.  Now all they have to do it write up the final paperwork.  Nick is almost officially an Eagle.  

Putting the sign on the "Founder's Cottage"  

We needed one more pole.  

Nick is getting to be a pro at this stuff.  

Hanging signs on the buildings.  

Finishing up the directional signs.  

"The Forge" was one of the coolest signs they made.  

Finishing up in the dark and it is about to...

...pour down rain!!!

One of Nick's favorite signs.  It welcomed you on one side and...

...said goodbye on the other.  

May 12th I had to miss Naomi's soccer game to go to seminary in-service.  I had missed in April because of Nick's party and didn't feel I could miss again.  Because if this I missed Naomi's only goal of the season.  She usually plays defense and so in not in the position to score.  I was sad, but Steve was there to cheer her on.   After the game, Steve and Naomi went to mow one lawn while Nick mowed our neighbor's lawn.  We had double booked Nick on accident so Naomi stepped in to help out.  After everyone was back home we went to see "Infinity Wars" as a family.  For the first time ever I was grateful for spoilers.  I don't know how I would have processed that ending without a little bit of a warning.  WHAT??!!!????!!!?!??!??!??!?

These are Eastern Bluebirds and they are nesting in the box just outside our front window!!  Sorry for the blurry picture.  I had to take it through the slats of the blinds since these birds are easily spooked.  

May 14th we got a new mailbox because ours got backed into by a guest at the neighbors house.  No big deal, it needed to be replaced anyway.

Mother's Day flowers from Steve and the kids.  

May 16th I got my official crown.  Funny, I don't feel like royalty like I thought I would (eye-roll from the kids).  

May 17th was a really fun day.  I got to chaperone on the 6th grade zoo trip.  Once we were divided into groups (mine was the easiest group ever - Naomi, Ashley and Nakitha) we loaded onto the buses and headed to Asheboro.  We played Apples to Apples the whole way there.  It was so much fun.  Naomi and Ashley were laughing about the cards they won.  

These are the cards Ashley won.  They tell a lot about her personality.  

Same with Naomi.  

It was raining when we arrived but cleared up quickly.   Most of the animals the girls wanted to see were in North America so we spent the whole day on that half of the zoo.  Maybe next time we will get to see Africa.  By the time we got to the middle of the zoo and had lunch it was time to head back to the buses.  I suggested we hoof it back to the front but the girls vetoed me and we ended up taking the zoo bus back to the top.  It was a fun ride because the boys in the car in front of us kept making silly faces.  This group of kids in the 6th grade is really close.  I love that Naomi knows all the kids in her grade.

Our entertainment while on the zoo bus  

Back at home Naomi and I cleaned up a little bit and then headed out with Steve to the Knight of the Arts.  It is the one night of the year where the arts teachers get to let their students show off.  The dance, drama, band and chorus kids perform and the art teacher displays the various projects from throughout the year.  It is a really fun night and Naomi wanted to us to see her stuff.  I also got to help out a little at the book fair so Mrs. Rogowski could take a little break.  We were all exhausted at the end of the day, but it was a good kind of exhaustion.

Friday, May 18th was the last day of seminary.  The kids all showed up and we had a breakfast and awards ceremony for the two graduates.  As hard as it was during parts of the year to have a lesson planned for every morning and to get up at 5 to teach that lesson, these kids are worth it.

My amazing seminary students.
Front row (l to r): Celeste, Journey, Nick, Mary
Back row (l to r): Joshua, Garrison, Autumn, Kaylee, Hunter, Josh, Michael, Naloni

May 18th was also the final band concert for the year.  It had been raining all day long so the concert was moved into the high school gymnasium.  That didn't decrease the fun of the night one bit.  The kids have improved so much and I think Mr. Scarengelli can count his first year at LNC a success.  Our kids loved it because we had dinner at the food trucks that were waiting outside.

The last band concert of the year.  

Naomi is in the second row on the left hand side.  She had such a good time in band this year.  

May 19th the last soccer game of the season was rained out.  Naomi was bummed, but what can you do when you live in a rainy state like North Carolina?!

May 20th Jeremy was ordained to the office of an Elder.  It is really weird that this whole growing up thing is really happening.  His mission papers are almost ready to go in as well.  

May 23rd was a historic day.  After proctoring over 18+  EOGs throughout the years I was finally promoted to EOG central. I got to wander the halls and make sure the teachers had everything they needed.  I also answered the phone and routed messages.  After the test was over I helped to organize and alphabetize and verify the information on all the forms.  It was heaven.  

May 24th I guess I passed the test because I was in EOG central again for the day.  Mr. Bauer and Mrs. Shipman run a really tight and organized ship.  I was amazed to see everything that went to making sure the test was administered properly. I love my kids' school.   

May 25th was a practice for the talent show.  Naomi and Ashley had fun feeling all professional with a mic check and lights and everything.  They are very excited... but not as excited as Naomi was to FINALLY have a dog (for the weekend).  The Poleras asked Naomi to dog sit for them while they were out of town for Memorial Day weekend.  Felix is a Chiweenie and is the cutest little guy ever.  We all really enjoyed having him around.  Felix REALLY liked Nick because Nick would lay down on the couch instead of sit and then Felix would come and lick his ears and face.  It was hilarious to watch.  Even with all the cuteness and fun, Steve still says "NO!" to a dog.  

Felix went where ever Naomi went.  

He would jump on her lap every time she sat down.  

Look at that face!!!

Watching for Mommy and Daddy to come back!!

Over the Memorial Day weekend (when we weren't playing with Felix) we also attended a graduation party for Garrison Stewart, a mission farewell party for Justice Stewart, washed the outside of the house so we wouldn't get a notification from the home owner's association saying we had mold on the house and did some yard work.  It was a great weekend.  

Oh yes!  We also turned in Jeremy's mission papers.  Whew!  That was a process, but it will be worth it.  

Jeremy all done up like a missionary for his paperwork submission.  

May 29th and 30th Nick took his last finals for the year.  He also helped in the middle school library with boxing up books that were to be donated.  Our neighbor, Carolyn, works with underprivileged kids and wanted the books for the homes where the kids stay.  Mrs. Rogowski was extra happy that the books weren't just going to Goodwill, but to homes where they would be read and loved.  

May 31st was the awards ceremony for the middle school.  Naomi won the ward for 6th Grade Art.  

Naomi and her award for 6th Grade Art.  The young lady next to her is Penelope and she is one of my favorite 5th graders.  She won the art award for 5th grade.  

That afternoon was the talent show.  I was able to go and watch the kids perform.  It was a fun time.  Naomi and Ashley did a really great job and the crowd loved them.  

This is a picture from the  rehearsal.  For the performance it was dark in the gym and there were flashing lights.  The camera didn't like those conditions and didn't take very good pictures. 

Back at home, the boys had been home most of the day by themselves and had gone to lunch together to celebrate the end of the school year.  We have a place near us called Mr. Tokyo and they have an all-you-can-eat sushi lunch special.  The boys put the all-you-can-eat to the test.  Together they downed 75 pieces of sushi!  Impressive, boys!

We spent the evening packing and getting ready for our early flight to Utah the next morning.  Another school year has been completed successfully.  All three kids did really well.  Nick has been recommended for Honors US History and Honors English 11.  Naomi got all 5s on her EOGs and is moving on to 7th grade.  Jeremy made the Dean's list both semesters of his first year in college.  All in all, I would say it was a success.    Utah, here we come!!

April 2018

CONFERENCE WEEKEND IS MY FAVORITE WEEKEND OF THE SEASON!!!  I love listening to what the prophet and apostles and general authorities of the Church have to say.   I always learn something new about the gospel, myself and my family when I watch.

April 2nd I had a whole day to get the garden cleaned out and ready to move.  It was a brilliant day.  I love being able to spend the whole day outside with my  hands in the dirt.  It makes me happy.

April 3rd I spent the morning with my good friend, Sandra.  She had fallen while walking and broken her shoulder over the weekend and needed a ride to the orthopedist to find out what needed to be done in order for her shoulder to heal properly.  She was pleased to hear that it did not need surgery and would heal on its own.   Back at home I straightened the house, went shopping for a new pair of long denim ($5 Rock-n-Republics - 90% off!!), got my hair cut and went out to dinner with Steve.  It was a productive day.

April 4th Nick was back at the dentist to have his spacer put in.  Remember, last month he lost his last baby tooth, but there was no adult tooth to take it's place.  Today was the spacer day.    That night we had a surprise birthday party for Steve Wilson at our house.  I love being surrounded by good friends.

April 5th I moved the garden while Steve and Nick did some more work on Nick's Eagle project.  As if working all day on the Eagle project wasn't enough, Nick needed to finish up some requirements for his Home and Family merit badge.  He built a permanant, stone firepit in the back yard.  It is gorgeous.  I love it.

I love the scouting program.  They teach so many wonderful things and I get a new firepit.  WIN-WIN!!

Nick got to go to the Smith's house and help split logs as part of a service project for the ward.  Brother Smith supplies some of the ward members with logs for their fires when the weather turns colder.  The Young Men love to help out.  

Naomi and the Licastris kept sending pictures of their week at the beach.  Naomi had such a good time with their family.  She fit right in and wants to be adopted.  A family of only girls is her dream.  It was quite nice only having sisters growing up, although I really wanted a brother.

The view from their back deck!

Playing in the waves.  

Bella and Naomi

Out to dinner. 

They took their sketch books everywhere and drew pictures the whole week.  Two peas in one pod!!

April 7th was Nick's long-awaited paintball party for his 16th birthday.  He wanted to wait until it was warmer.  Several of his parties almost got snowed out.  He did not want that to happen to this party.  Everyone met at the house and we headed down to Glory Road Paintball to have some fun.  The day was rather cold and rainy, but that didn't stop the boys.  They had a great time.  

Nick and Blake all ready for some paintball action.  

Instructions before heading to the playing field. 

After a few rounds they were all wet, but having a blast.  Josh and Steve refilling their guns.

The whole crew - (Left to Right)  Nick in the front with Josh, Isaac, Blake, Braydon, Matt, Jeremy, Steve and David.  

After shooting at each other for about two hours, we headed back to the house to have deli sandwiches and homemade oreo cookies.  Once everyone was dry, thawed out and fed the boys just hung out and talked until it was time to go.  Nick said it was one of his best birthday parties.    Afterwards, Matt invited Nick to spend the rest of the day at his house.  We didn't see him until they dropped him back off about 9:30.  Meanwhile, Naomi was back from her adventure at the beach and was full of fun stories and adventures.  I missed her while she was gone.  Also that night, Steve and Jeremy went to an opera performance on the CPCC campus for Jeremy's music appreciation class.  They both really liked it.  WHEW!!!  Busy day.  

This tree was so cool.  Instead of having blossoms at the end of branches...

...it had blossoms all over the truck AND down the branches.  

April 10th Jeff Maughan came to stay with us for a few days.  He was back in town to finish up some business.  We loved having him at our house.  I really miss their family and was so sad when they moved.

April 11th Jeff and Steve spent some time in the garage doing some woodworking and getting further ahead on Nick's Eagle project.  It felt like old times.  If either myself or Cari could not find out husbands, we would call each other and check the garage.  They were there 99% of the time.

April 12th we took quite a few of the signs to Hinds Feet Farm and got them placed.  It is so nice to see this project finally coming together visually.  I think it helped keep Nick motivated.  The signs look amazing.

Naomi helped dig the holes since she is using this as her service project for school as well.  She is a good little worker.  

The first sign is in place!!!

Jeff giving the kids some advice on how to hold the shovel to make digging a hole easier.  

Naomi loved feeding the horses and they loved her feeding them. 

Putting in the last big post for the day. 

The horses followed Naomi...

...and she loved it.  

Naomi needed some pictures for her project.  This is one of the signs that she helped with all along the way from sanding, to painting to placing.  

The whole work crew.  

April 14th was picture day for soccer.  I always take my camera and get a picture of the kids but this time I had left the SD card in the computer because I had been working on Nick's Eagle pictures.  Oh well.  Thank goodness AYSO posted the pictures on their Facebook page and I was able to get a copy from there. 

After soccer Naomi and I went home to pull weeds and mow the lawn.  Nick and Steve were helping with an Eagle project and Jeremy was with some friends hiking in the Pisgah National Forest.  That evening I met Jeremy on the CPCC campus to attend a musical performance for his music appreciation class.  It was a fun night.  

April 15th Naomi spoke in sacrament meeting.  She did a really good job and said she wasn't really that nervous.  That night we had a new family over for dinner.  Thomas and Christi Sewell were out here house hunting before their big move from Arizona.  They have four children, three of which are roughly the same ages as our children.  It was a fun night getting to know them a little better.  

April 18th Nick had an interview with Metrolina Greenhouse.  He was so excited because it was his first real interview for a job he really wanted.  He did well in the interview, but they weren't hiring for the hours he could work and told him to call back during the summer to see that might be available then.  

April 20th I got to sub in the library.  That is my dream job!!!  I should have listened to my hygienist back in high school and gone into library science.  At the time the thought of being a librarian was depressing (only homely, single women were librarians).  Times have changed.   After school we packed up and headed out to Knoxville for the weekend.  After dinner, Steve, Bradden and the older kids went to see Black Panther.  Sunny and I stayed home and got the younger ones to bed and then prepped for the next day.  

April 21st we got up and headed straight to a double-header of soccer.  Hyrums' game was first and then Olivia's.  Both of them scored a goal.  It was fun to watch them.  During the second game Nick got a little antsy so he and I went for a walk around the park and found a basketball hoop.  He dunked a few and then felt better.  The antsiness was gone and we headed back to Olivia's game.  

Olivia, Maddie, Naomi, Nick and Jeremy playing their own soccer game during Hyrum's game.  

Naomi and Maddie made this tent for some shade during Olivia's game. 

Me and Nick going for a little walk.

Naomi kept both Hyrum and Maddie busy during the second game.  

 Back at the house Naomi and Nick wanted to go for another walk.  Sunny took us down to the historic district by their house.  It was so much fun.  There was a small art gallery we toured and then the kids walked down the track and threw rocks into the lake.  Naomi found some old rail nails and brought them back as a souvenir.  We also found some shiny rocks.   It was nice and relaxing  Knoxville is such a beautiful place.

Naomi, Sunny and Nick walking down the train tracks.  

When we got back to the house the smaller kids were so excited about the rocks and nail they wanted to go on their own walk by the tracks.  Sunny and I stayed at the house to get cleaned up so we could go to dinner that night.   The walk/treasure hunt was a huge success.  They came back with a dozen nails and even more rocks.

Jeremy playing tag with Maddie while on their walk.  

We went to Blaze Pizza that night for dinner and had a great time chatting at the restaurant.  Everyone found something they liked for dinner and the conversation was on point.  Back at the house we all fell into bed after such an active day.

The next morning we helped Sunny get the kids ready for church and then left for home.  We stopped for lunch at Zaxby's in Asheville and then came straight home to get ready for the next day.

April 23rd Naomi and I went to the dentist.  Her check up was great.  Mine... not so much.  I need a crown.  YUCK!!!!

April 24th was a rare day where I had a whole day to get some cleaning done.  Weird, but nice.

April 27th was a pep rally at the middle school.  I was lucky enough to be subbing that day so I got to watch all the fun.  Pep rallies are really loud, but I love all the energy in the room.  Naomi and her friends had joined the lip sync contest and they did a great job. 

April 30th Nick had an interview at Tiajuana Flats.  They ended up hiring someone else, but this interviewing experience will pay off in the long run.

Nick was tired from all the shopping and wanted to ride.  He is almost too big for the cart.  

I found these Bumblebee glasses while shopping one day and bought some for Nick.  Our little buddy, Clark, who had just moved away, LOVES Bumblebee as much as Nick so we sent him a pair as well.  His mom sent us this picture of Clark in his glasses.  The smile says it all.  These two boys are the best.

March 2018

March started off with Steve giving birth to a 6mm kidney stone.  He has been dealing with these since last June when we ended up in the emergency room and through two medical procedures to break up and get rid of kidney stones.  Hopefully, we are almost done.  The up side is that this one didn't hurt nearly as much as the first one.   

I think we decided on the name "Thor" for this one.
Thor is next to a Tic Tac for reference as to size.

March 2, Nick auditioned for choir at the high school and made it.  Junior year is shaping up to be both challenging and fun.

March 3 - Prom dinner.  Every year Bishop Beckworth takes the kids to a local Italian restaurant for dinner before church prom.  Nick was excited to get to go this year.  They always have so much fun.

The whole group before dinner.

Just the boys - (left to right) Josh, Hunter, Bro. Kelly, Ezra, Nick T and Nick C.

The whole group out by the lake.
front row:  (left to right)  Autumn, Kaylee, Mary, Celeste, Naloni
back row: (left to right) Bro. Kelly, Ezra, Hunter, Nick T., Bishop Beckworth, Nick, Josh, Sister Kelly

Nick and his buddy, Josh.  Don't they look handsome!!!

March 4, Nick blessed the sacrament for the first time.  He was so nervous and practiced quite a bit for the big event.  He did a brilliant job!  Since it was Nick's first time he got to have Steve and Jeremy up there with him.  It was a mama's payday to see all three of my men blessing the sacrament.  So cool.  

My three handsome men. 

March 6th, Steve was back in the doctor's office with bronchitis.  Thankfully we caught it early this time and he got  better quickly.

March 7th I took Nick to the dentist to have another baby tooth pulled.  Now that Nick's baby teeth are almost all gone we have finally figured out the signs of a baby tooth getting ready to explode.  Remember, Nick's baby teeth don't get loose and fall out on their own.  The adult tooth starts to push up under the baby tooth and force all the gums into the inside of the baby tooth to the point of the baby tooth exploding from the pressure.  Yup, fun times!!  This tooth was a little different in that there is no adult tooth under it and so we have to wait for the gum swelling to go down so he can get a spacer put in to maintain the space until he is old enough to have a dental implant done.

March 11th, Nick got his patriarchal blessing today.   It was really cool to listen to the blessings Heavenly Father has in store for Nick if he will stay close to the Lord and follow the gospel teachings in his life.  I love my patriarchal blessing and the way it has guided me throughout my life when I have had big decisions to make.  I am excited to see what kind of amazing man Nick will be.

March 15th, Naomi had her first oboe lesson.  Mr. Scarengelli, her band teacher from school, is encouraging her to try to oboe.  He thinks she needs a challenge.  She is actually quite excited about it.  His big push is that if you play the oboe well enough you will always have a scholarship to college.  I like the sound of that. 

March 16th, UTI (Universal Technical Institute) visited LNC and Nick got to talk to them about pursuing a career in auto mechanics.  FINALLY someone he could talk to that understands all the passion and vocabulary he has surrounding cars.  He was in heaven and knows what path his life is going to take post high school. 

March 17th Naomi played a great soccer game, but the other team was one goal better.  It was a hard loss, but her team is playing together so much better now than at the beginning of the season.  Steve spent the day with Kev and Jo working on a project for their house. 

March 19-21 I got to be Mrs. Tedder, 7th grade English.  I was in heaven.  The students were in the middle of a poetry unit and I love poetry.  We had a lot of fun for three days exploring different types of poetry.  It was a very rewarding three days to see the kids start to understand and appreciate poetry.  It was also rewarding to have the kids tell me "You are a really good teacher."  It makes all the hard days as a sub worth it. 

March 23rd we all went to Hinds Feet Farm to cut down trees for Nick's Eagle project.  Naomi was excited to help because she is using her participation in Nick's project as part of a school assignment.  The motto for the 6th grade is "Be the kind of change you would like to see in the world."  Each student has to pick a way to serve in the community, do a project and then create a presentation about their project.  It is a win-win for everyone.  Nick and Steve had already started working on getting the signs routed and sanded.  Naomi stepped in to help paint the routed letters so they would be easier to see.  Cutting down trees was the next step toward completion.  We had a blast working together to get the trees cut and gathered.  Nothing like some good, hard, family work. 

Nick and Steve routing the signs. 

Painting the signs.

Naomi had to have a picture of herself standing in front of the sign of the place she was serving.  

Nick and Steve using the chainsaw and pushing the first tree down.  This was the biggest tree we had to fell and it was HEAVY!!!!

As the tree fell it got caught on another tree.  We had to put a rope around it and using good ol' elbow grease to get it down.  

HEAVE!  HO!  We finally go it to fall.  

Nick, the lumberjack!

Jeremy and Naomi with one of the smaller trees.  

Our stockpile of poles for all the signs.  

March 24th we all sat through a soccer game while it sleeted almost the whole time.  It was so cold, but a lot of fun.  Nick got to spend some time with Steve Wilson working on cars (which made him happy).  After soccer, Naomi and I went clothes shopping since she had grown out of all her shorts from last year. 

March 26-29 was DC at LNC.  While the majority of the 5th grade was on a field trip to Washington DC, myself and two other subs got to stay back and play with those who didn't/couldn't go on the trip.  We had a guy from Discovery Place come and do a demonstration on the physics of friction and drag.  We experimented with friction and drag while making balloon race cars and having races.  We learned a little about the history of several of the sites.  I put together a Break Out Box centered around the Constitution.  It was a fun week. 

Thank goodness Spring Break came when it did.  I was so exhausted from everything I had going on  and seminary was really getting hard to bear.  All of us needed a break from each other.  Don't get me wrong, these kids are amazing for getting up so early to be at my house from 5:50 a.m. to 6:40 a.m. to study the scriptures every morning, but we all needed a break from that part of the routine for a bit in order to appreciate it again. 

March 30th we all pitched in a worked in the yard weeding and mowing.  It really needed some TLC.  We also spent some time getting Naomi ready for her beach trip with the Licastris.  She spent a good portion of the day packing and practicing fixing stroganoff so it would be perfected when it was her turn to fix dinner at the beach.  YUMMY!!!

March 31st we dropped Naomi off at the Licastris for the beginning of her Spring Break Beach Adventure.  It was weird not having her with us as we ran errands on the way home.  We stopped at Target to get some Cadbury eggs for Nick and Jeremy and ran into Mrs. Herron and Mr. and Mrs. Blackman.  It was an LNC reunion at Target.  After that short diversion we hurried home to watch General Conference.    Steve and the boys went to lunch between sessions since Jeremy had to work that night and wouldn't be able to do the traditional pre-men's session dinner.  The went to Mr. Tokyo and I have a feeling a new bad habit has stated.  They LOVED it.  All-you-can-eat, fresh-made sushi.  Nuf said.