Miner Moments

Hopefully I didn't make a New Year's Resolution to keep up to date on this blog! 

So Sorry Grandma and Grandpa P!  

Since last we posted, here are a list of things we have been doing:
Home School: Lydia is reading very well, half way through our 100 easy lessons book,

Henry is cruising through everything, I just started him on 4th grade math and "The Adventures of  Huckleberry Finn," Elizabeth just finished AMP testing to find that the state canceled all tests because of "glitches" in the system. She has begun reading "A Tale of Unfortunate Events," and has read through it faster than any book ever!  I am grateful this series has 13 books! 

Porter hates to be left out, so he's beginning reading lessons also

We started a science project of planting seeds for our garden.  A comparison of planting pots and how the seeds grow in each. 

History has been focused on US History.  We finished a section on Slavery and are moving into the Civil War, I know, we are moving at a snails pace!  

Swimming Lessons: Lydia is learning quickly but mostly it looks like she's "actively drowning" most of the time.  Henry is in level 3 and it's fun to watch him progress.  Now to conquer treading ( it's hard when you're all skin and bones!) 

Elizabeth loves swimming and is working on mastering the many swim strokes and wants to be on the swim team some day. 

I am attending Institute every Thursday and loving it!! Mom needs education too! 

This year we are studying "The Family: A Proclamation to the World" 

Tuesdays are ART CLASS.  Elizabeth and Henry are loving it and getting so much better at art and expressing themselves through art. 

Here are some moments captured in photograph.  With out the camera I would forget so much!! 

Dr. Seuss's Birthday Ice Skate Party

Dress as your favorite Character 

Henry: The Grinch

Elizabeth: Betty Lou? 

Lydia: Olivia.. Not a Dr Seuss Character, a pig that loves to wear red. But I figured she looked like the Cat's Hat. :) 

 Here are some of the starts.  We have tomatoes, cucumbers, squash, leeks, broccoli, cabbage, and peas and beans.  Very excited about the garden this year.

 Spring break was AWESOME!!! We didn't get any snow this winter, until spring break.  It dumped on us and we thoroughly enjoyed it for the week.  Monday it all melted. :)  I swear Alaska is going tropical! Thank you El Nino!

 Mommy had a birthday!  Spent the day with our best friends riding bikes and eating treats!  It was a wonderful day!

 And here are some of the cucumbers and tomatoes we transplanted at the beginning of March.  They are growing so quickly!  These ones were started in the Jiffy Pellets. They do grow well.  Our only concern was the mesh restricting the roots, so we peeled it back to hopefully allow them room to grow.

Henry had his 8TH BIRTHDAY!!!!

It was a great weekend of Easter Egg hunts and games.  Henry's birthday fell on Easter this year.  Our family read through the last week of Christ's Life in the New Testament all week.  It made Easter so much more wonderful, education and amazing!  The kids really enjoyed it and it helped prepare them for a lesson in Primary about the JOY that we feel as we talk of the empty tomb.  He is not here, HE IS RISEN!!!  I almost sent the Primary kids home with an empty egg to symbolize the empty tomb, but I figured they wouldn't find much joy in that.  So I sent them home with three pieces of candy and a strip of paper that reminded them of the joy of the empty tomb.  It was an amazing lesson, and a wonderful Easter.  We also informed the Easter Bunny that all things candy and egg related would remain on Saturday, so we could focus on the Savior and his great sacrifice and resurrection on the Sabbath. It worked well! I love when my kids can grasp the great meaning of the gospel, in spite of the world's influence all around them. 

 Lydia's birthday followed! It wasn't as exciting for her... Daddy and Henry were in Seattle doing a 5 year Transplant Check up. :) That's exciting to type and read!!! But we did get some new toys and make a cake together and then follow up with movies and dinner on Saturday when the boys got home. 5 years old already and beautiful and spunky and amazingly loving!

 She helped design and create the cake, although she only ate the frosting and skittles! Silly kids don't like cake. :) Just a tub of icing next time I swear!

Porter got his own space ship!  And boy was he excited!!! They have played in it until it's completely flat! :)  Love watching their minds imagine and create!

 The first mosquito bite of the year! Poor thing! 

And Calvin! Oh this boy! He is giving me a run for my money!  He loves to be inside small spaces?! He loves to cuddle and get into everything!  He is a pretty picky eater, but growing quickly.  Except the brown eyes he's the spitting image of his big brother! His part in school work is to get into and dump out as much as he can while Mom is helping the other kids.  I completely understand he just wants attention... but I'm hoping he gets through this stage quickly!!

 And our greatest Moment this year: Henry's Baptism.  My heart was full and bursting with joy!  He has been told from the time he was a baby that he would be a great Missionary.  I know the Lord has a great work for him to do!  This last week they went to Seattle and he's extremely healthy and strong!  He still has high iron but we are working on a solution.  Options include phlobotomy, shots or pills.  Henry votes for the pill.  I'm a bit scared of side effects, but really it's the least invasive and after years of shots and blood draws I think it is the best option.  Regardless I am in awe of the Lords work and his mighty power.  I know he has a plan for us and I know we can trust Him.  I know he lifts us in our times of trial and carries us through, if we seek Him.  I know he suffered all things, so he understands all things, all sorrow, all heartache, all sickness, all things unfair.  He is the only one that perfectly understands and the only one that can perfectly support and help us through the trials of this life.  8!!!!  And AMAZING!