Conference Camping

We had an amazing weekend. Come Thursday I was having a pretty rough time of it. Some personal things have been going in that have left me feeling very frustrated. I just needed some time away to be a fun Mom and wife. I needed to leave all of the things that cumber me when I am home behind for just a little while.

So we ran away to Red Cliffs to camp for two nights. It was wonderful and amazing and just what I needed. I can not believe that this is only 15 minutes from our house and we had never really been exploring up there! It was unbelievability beautiful!
 

Each day we would go hiking up into the canyon to see different things and explore different trails.

 

This tree was amazing! I have never seen a better climbing tree in all my life. My Mom would have loved it!

At the top of the trail there was a waterfall that if you wanted to get around you had to use a rope and kind of climb up over the rock. Thankfully John could take Beckham on his back and we could keep going up.

 

Once we got to the top there was a fun little pool and a tiny little natural water slide.

 

One of the things that I love about camping is it makes what you have enough. You need less, appreciate more and it grounds me to life and what is really needed to live and survive. I love that the boys have a little bucket of toys and it keeps them happy for days without any complaints! They made the most amazing creations and their imaginations were running wild! I never see it at home to the same degree as I do when they are out in nature with nothing else to do. Its so ironic that they are happier and more content with less. Then again, I am too.

We also made homemade ice cream and I think that will be a new camping tradition! It was so yummy and fun to do.

It was so yummy in fact that since we were so close to home we ran home mid Saturday to shower and grab more ingredients to do it again!

Conference was wonderful. I feel so renewed and felt like I found so many answers to the things I was looking for...and I was looking for a lot! Most of all I feel renewed. None of the answers are new - they are just relearned and clarified.

And conference would not be conference without a little of this from John...

 He is so cute! I am one lucky lady!

Rockin' Walk-a-thon

 

We had the coral Canyon Walk a thon this last week and it was fun and a little emotional. I'm glad I had sunglasses on all day long to hide my tears!

The school board decided that our neighborhood needs to change schools next year because of the way numbers are lining up. One small problem...I am suppose to be the PTA President for the next two years!

Now I'm not so sad about having a little more time on my hands, a little relieved to be honest. What I am sad about is that I know everyone at the school and they know me. I have worked hard to make good relationships and lets be honest, it pays off for my kids.

I love my kids teachers! Seriously, they are amazing! Mrs Brunstad is sad too that she wont get to teach Beckham - like really sad. I love that my kids are a blessing to a teacher and teachers are hoping that they get my kids.

Beckham and his buddy Mrs Brunstad

  

 

Davis getting squirted by the PE teacher!

Our little helpers that worked all day long right with us Moms!

 

I know that next year will be fine. We will all be starting over in a sense. There are a lot of good things about the change. The biggest is that they will be in Hurricane! Right now they attend a Washington school and when they go to Intermediate school our school feeds 3 different Intermediate schools and it can be a hard transition for the kids from Coral Canyon. I am glad they will meet new friends and this transition will be a lot smoother and at an easier age.

Davis also wants to do the Chinese Immersion program so he will be in a half day of Chinese each day starting next year. That is not offered at Coral Canyon and I think it will be a huge blessing to him considering he is already 2 grades above level in math!

We will all miss Coral Canyon! Just the fact that I can say that is huge considering that the first couple years were a little rough with our raunchy Principle! Its been such a blessing and a ton of fun to be in PTA. Ive worked with some amazing people!

Calebs Hogwarts Letter

I had several reservations about having Caleb tested for the Gifted and Talented Program here in our school district. One reason is my own personal issues...Both Brian and Mark were gifted - I was just bright. So I kind of wrote myself off as the dummy of the family and never really applied myself in school. No ones fault but my own, that's just kind of my personality.

Caleb is the same way and so I was terrified that if he didn't qualify that he would just write himself off as the "dummy" of our family. I was not okay with that. I also don't have any intention of sending him to the Gifted and talented school. Its too far away and he is way to social that I don't think it would be best for him.

He has always done well in school, especially math. This year though he has pulled out well ahead of the majority of his class. He has a fantastic teacher and she said she really wanted him to be tested. So I agreed and he did awesome! You have to be a tier 3 in at least 1 subject and a tier 2 in another. And he did it!

He was so excited when he got his official invitation letter to the Gifted and Talented School. He said its like his Hogwarts letter!

So proud of him!