Logan sings...

Last night Logan performed in his first high school choir concert. He looked mighty handsome in his Tux too! He seemed to walk a little taller being in his Tux! They sang 3 songs and did very well. It is fun to see my kids really enjoying themselves and Logan looked like he was having great fun!

Logan's Eagle Project...

We finally have finished with Logan's Eagle project. He has two merit badges to complete and he is an Eagle Scout! Logan was able to complete Jonny's project he had planned and had approved to do and then he was in the hospital on the day we scheduled to do it.

Logan had 75 storm drains to label in West Boise. We had a good turn-out and all the drains were labeled in about 2 hours.

When Steve and Jonny picked up the project supplies from the Boise Watershed they stopped and found one of the drains on the map and placed one of the medallions. I am so glad they did that. Jonny did get to prepare all of the paperwork and did get to participate, even if it was only one. Jonny will get a posthumous award called "The Spirit of the Eagle" which is award to young men who qualified but passed away before receiving their Eagle Scout Award.

One more Eagle project to go for Carson!

Happy 14th Logan!!!!

September 1st Logan turned 14! He didn't want much, iPod Touch, DVD player, Computer.....Ha! It's ok to have wishes I told him!

This was the first time I haven't made a cake for a birthday in years.

There was just too much going on.

So some wishes do come true.

He got a camera for his Digital Photography class he is taking at school, a microscope kit.
He got an iPod touch from his grandparents too.

Logan did get some fun stuff and plenty of yummy treats, and some gift cards too.

"Now let's go feed the lions!"

We raced to Zoo Boise yesterday to make it in time to feed the giraffes. Emily just loved it. As we walked off she said enthusiastically, "That was fun! Now let's go feed the LIONS!"

Happy 13th Birthday Logan....

Happy 13th Birthday Logan!

Logan had a pre-birthday party at our friends the Moxleys. It was almost too cool to swim but the kids did it anyway. It was so windy that we couldn't light the candles, so we pretended to light them and Logan pretended to blow them out! Logan and his buddies had some great time with swords on the trampoline, swimming, and a movie too!

Off to Scout Camp.....and they're back!

Logan and Carson headed out to their first week-long Scout Camp.

It was an early morning rise for a summer break.

They had a great time.

Logan came home without his voice....his Scoutmaster didn't think we'd mind :)

Carson was in need of some serious chapstick therapy.

They both completed at least 12 merit badges during their week at Scout Camp! Hooray, that is 12 less I have to nag them about!

Tell her she completes you...

As we were leaving town, heading for Washington, Steve was being a mushy and sweet and telling me how glad he was that he married me and how much fun we have, the adventures we have etc... When Logan leans up from his seat and whispers loudly to his Dad, "tell her she completes you, it works!"

At first Steve was a little frustrated at his "butting into" our conversation. Then we asked where he got that phrase from. His reply was "from the Chipmunks movie!" We gotta good laugh out of that!

Logan's Research Project Presentation....

Logan is currently attending Idaho Virtual Academy. During middle school, students have to participate in the annual Project Fair presenting either a science project or a passion project. Logan had to do the passion project this year in conjuction with writing a research paper on a topic of his choosing. It was quite a busy ballroom at a local Marriot hotel with around 150 students presenting their projects. It was a great experience for Logan and I am glad he perservered! It was a great learning experience not just for the writing and presenting of his work but to have the satfisfaction of completing a big task and gaining the knowledge that he CAN do it.

Set-up and waiting to give his presentation to the judges.

His topic, self-chosen, was Juvenile Crime and Law. He looks like a little laywer don't you think?

Logan had many people stop and ask questions while he waited for teachers to come for his presentation.

Logan gave a six minute presentation and did quite well. He was able to expand on his presentation with the information he had read during his research. Logan hopes to go to the Renaissance High School in Meridian which has a Law program to prepare you for College and Law School while still in high school. His grade was a 49 out of 50, an A. He proscrastinated his research for this project until the very end and wanted to forget about doing the presentation all together. He took home a blue ribbon and was happy that he had finished the project!

Spring?

It is supposed to be Spring now. The weather is crazy and unpredictable. The lawn is trying to green-up. Logan mowed the back yard for the first time this season. You would think it was winter they way he is bundled up with this ear muffs, gloves, and big coat!

Klondike 2010 & Glasses...

Carson and Logan packed up yesterday and went to the annual Klondike campout. I tried to provide all the items necessary to keep them warm during this very cold and wet campout. As you can see they were both ready to go and I had to take a picture for my blog.

As I set-up the shot of Logan I thought I had focused. Carson's photo came out focused well enough. I am seeing a trend now that I don't like, I can't see all that great! More and more of my shots are blurry when I KNOW that I focused before I took the shot. It is only after I load the photos onto my computer do I see that I CAN'T see!

New Schooling for Logan...

We are embarking on a new adventure this year. Logan is now doing school at home through Idaho Virtual Academy. He enjoys choosing how he starts his day with the subject of his choice. He can kick back with his feet up on his desk while participating with his live online classes. He will eat lunch while doing his reading for English. One of our first Science

We had fun watching this rubber glove expand and then eventually pop off of the jar!

Back to School....

On August 17th, with tissue boxes in hand and backpacks packed full, the kids boarded their buses headed back to school. This is our last year for grade school (for a couple of years anyway), our last year before I have a high schooler, the last year of split bus schedules, our last year of senior primary (until Emily gets up there). It is Emily's first year in nusery at church. It is the first year that Emily waves and says goodbye as the kids get on the bus. The first year for Kristina in Middle School. The first year that Katie and Carson are not in the same class. The first year that Jonny liked the first week of school. The first year that we don't go to the fair!

We have been to two class presentations since school has started. Carson gave his "I am an Influencial American" presentation during the first week of school and Katie gave hers at the beginning of this second week of school.

Goofy kids....

Wiseguy....

I was on Facebook chatting with a friend in Arizona and my son Logan asks what I was doing.  I told him I was chatting online with a friend that moved away. He then says to me "Is there something wrong with the phone?"

Christmas Fun Run....

Tami and Logan ran in the YMCA's Christmas Fun Run last Saturday. Logan donned a tree skirt, Santa hat, and stripped socks as his costume. They ran the 2.5 miles in 32 minutes.

I can see clearly now the blur is gone....

Logan got glasses when he was in second grade and almost blind. He literally couldn't see the fingers you were holding up. We spent the next few years going to the eye doctor every 6 months. Patching his good eye for 6 hours a day, forcing the weak one to work. He had eye drops to blur the good eye, film on his glasses to blur the good eye, and the patching too. He didn't have to do this all at once. Oh, and part of his "prescription" to help his weak eye, play hand-held games ie., Gameboy/DS for 2 hours a day. He was heartbroken!!!

Logan lost his glasses this summer so we had to go get new ones. About two years ago Carson got his glasses. And now the girls got them too. Kristina has been squinting at everything for awhile now. We would all tell her not to squint. Katie has been complaining of headaches and things being hard to see. Now everyone can see clearly! And 4 out of 6 kids are now in glasses. Aren't they cute! They couldn't be happier!

I LOVE to see this....

I absolutely LOVE to see my kids reading. I loved to read as a kid and still do today. It's a little harder to find the time to read. But when I have a good book you can't stop me. I just hide, usually in the bathroom, "I'll be out in a minute." The other day I went to pick up the younger kids from the bus Logan decided to come along. He sat outside of the car reading. It made my heart happy! I WISH I had to take away their flashlights at night because they were reading in bed. When they tell me they are bored I tell them to go read a book, no one does! I just don't get it!

Way to go Logan!

Thursday was Logan's last Cross Country meet. We drove to Mountain Home for the League Meet. I am not sure how many kids there were but the line-up was 4 or 5 rows deep of runners. We are proud of Logan for sticking it out the entire season and running his heart out at each meet. I am sure Logan didn't know what he was really getting himself into when he joined the team, but he stuck it out and did great! It was fun to watch him stand up a little taller as we cheered for him when he went by. I was always fighting back tears I was so proud of him!

It was so very cold in Mountain Home yesterday. Steve did not bring a jacket. Luckily we had a blanket in the car to wrap around the baby. She didn't seem to mind the cold too much. She did mind when I tried to wrap her up too much!

"There are a million little bugs in my bed!"

As I was working on my last post Logan gets up to tell us that he has "a million little bugs in his bed" and he was sure he wasn't dreaming either! Steve asked him to show him the bugs and he was a little reluctant so Steve turned on the bedroom light to look for bugs. There were no bugs and Logan realized he was dreaming! Too funny!

Logan receives his Arrow of Light

Logan moved from Cub Scouts to 11 yr old Boy Scouts at the beginning of this month. Before moving on he had completed his Arrow of Light, the only badge that moves with him from Cub Scouts to Boy Scouts. Now I have two boys working on merit badges! Fun!

Dear Tooth Fairy...

I found this piece of paper in my dresser drawer recently.

The date on the inside the paper is November 2004.