Saturday, November 29, 2008

On to Virginia...

We left Missouri at about 4 in the morning, so I got to see my first prairie sunrise as we where entering Illinois. Ya know what, the mountains really are in the way. :o)

We were in Illinois for long enough to see the big arch and to cross the Mississippi & Missouri rivers. Then we drove across the bottom of Indiana.

Shane loved Indiana. Wooded, rolling hills scattered with beautiful (very well taken care of) farm houses. How could my farm boy not love it there? Kentucky was a lot like Indiana, lots of hill, lots of trees. Just a bit rockier and full for signs advertising distillery tours :o)

West Virginia is mountain country. Not the towering Rockies, but smoother, rounder mountains. The West Virginia cities we saw were crammed into smaller valleys than Utah cities are. The houses are built on the mountain benches and father up the mountain. It was surprising to see how much city they could fit into such small spaces. By then it was getting dark. I can't wait to drive thru again, in the day time to see West Virginia better.

We've had a great time while in Virginia...but I think I'll save that for another post.

Tuesday, November 25, 2008

The Girl From Utah...or Geographically Challenged

*So I grew up in Utah. I have always lived in the Rockies. I have listened patiently while N-B (my college roommate) described prairie sunrises and complained about the mountains getting in the way of the view. And I listened with amusement as she talked about claustrophobia and the fear that the mountains would someday come crashing down on us. I have read Willa Cather’s description of a charmed childhood on the Plains. But I could never believe that anywhere could be as beautiful as my mountain home.
*My education began on Friday, when Shane, the boys and I loaded down the old Saturn and headed across this great wide US of A.
*I have always felt like driving into Wyoming is like coming to the top of the world. You drive up up up until you come out on top of the mountains. It feels like your above everything. As you continue across WY the feeling fades, especially as you climb “The Sisters” in between Evanston and the Bridgerland. Keep going east on I 80 and pretty soon all you see is sage brush and the big beautiful sky.
*Most people think that that part of WY is ugly. Since my view of the sky has always been obstructed by the mountains I find WY to be stunning! The stillness and the size of the sky are unimaginable.
*Nebraska is big and flat, and kind of boring to drive across. I did find it interesting that the cities and towns aren’t right off the freeway. In Utah our cities are hemmed in, between the mountains and the lake in Provo and SLC. Or they’re crammed into a valley, like in Logan. We have serious space limitations. On the Plains, with unlimited space, nothing is against the freeway, because nothing has to be.
*We did all this driving in one day. From Logan, thru WY and NE, into Missouri, for a visit with Tara and Kent and their girls. We were on the road for 19 hours!!! (I can’t describe MO because it was dark for all of our driving there)
*We had a great time at Tara and Kent’s. We finally got to see their VERY cute new house. We also got to see Kent’s school. I always love when my kids get a chance to play with Ali, Bri and Madi. They always have fun and I always hope they are build friendships that will be with them into adulthood (like I have with some of my cousins)
*I love to spend time in the kitchen with Tara. I think it is because we are the same kind mom. We both strive to find balance between our home and the world. We are both interesting in learning new ways to be self-sufficient. And we (Tara much more than I) are trying to break out of our “raised on a farm” “white bread” “meat and potato” eating habits. Tara is a great example to me in this. She always has good ideas on healthy eating habits.
*I have much more to write about our drive across this GIANT glorious country. But this post is already too long. I’ll post again soon.
*Happy Thanksgiving. I hope your all well and happy.

Saturday, November 8, 2008

Our (crazy) new life...

Most of you know by now that the boys started public school this year so that I could go back to work. Our new life is crazy busy...

Perrin and Connor are really doing well in school. We just had our first conference. Perrin received the highest grade for math and Connor received the highest grade for reading and spelling. (I guess they don't use A, B, & C anymore, now it's 1 thru 4.)

My new job (yeah Wendy's) is crazy hard and a ton of work!!! Man! Am I wishing now that I had gotten a degree in my 20's.( Dad, it would be okay if you say "I told you so.") All-in-all, it's a pretty good place to work and sometimes it's even fun :o)

Shane is still doing what he does best: working hard and taking care of all of us. He really is the light of my life.

Our fam is preparing for our big Thanksgiving trip to Virgina. We got a new car stereo (cuz Auntie Joyce's old Saturn didn't have a CD player.) And we now have an on board DVD, so the boys can watch movies and play Play Station on the road. I'm so so so excited for this trip!

I hope your all well and happy. Write to me and tell me about your Thanksgiving plans.

Monday, August 4, 2008

Adventures in a minivan

Vance Anthony Farley came into the world on the 4th of July weighing 4lbs 12oz. Everything went pretty well for such a tiny baby and he only had to stay in the hospital for one extra day. I got to Velvet's just after they brought him home

Staying with my sister was pretty educational. The first thing I learned is that anyone who has more than 2 kids in insane! As soon as there is more than 2 an enormous amount of energy goes into feeding them, cleaning them, and cleaning up after them. Not to mention keeping them all happy! WOW!!!


The second thing I learned is I grew up in a very tiny town! Okay I knew that...but I forgot how small CastleDale is!!! Double WOW!


Having that many kids to care for did let me live out the ultimate "Mormon Girl Fantasy" (Cruising down the road in a minivan full of kids, jamming to Kids Bop 12!)

Saturday, June 21, 2008

Have a good summer...

The boys and I are going to Castle Dale for a while. My sister, Velvet, is having a HARD pregnancy, so we're going to stay til the baby comes. I won't be posting til we get back. I hope you all have a good summer.

Jammie

Monday, June 16, 2008

Why I homeschool

After my last post, my friend Shelly asked why we decided to homeschool. Well, there are so many reason, my answer got too long to leave as a comment. So that's why I'm making this post...
In 2005 Perrin came out of 2nd grade with a Kindergarten reading level. Kindergarten and 1st grade where a challenge for him. But 2nd grade was brutal! He was the kid in class that couldn't read. Instead of pulling him out of class for in school (free) tutoring, we chose to find a private tutoring program. It worked well, but at $20.00 an hour 6 hours a week, we couldn't keep it up for more than a year.
Connor had the opposite problem. He was the bored kid. We spent so much time practicing reading skills at home with Perrin that Connor went to Kindergarten reading at a 1st grade level. All of Kindergarten was a repeat for him. He is also a really fast learner and spent most of his public school time driving the teacher crazy.
When it was time for Perrin to start 3rd grade, we had to make a change. Deciding to homeschool wasn't easy. This was the year that both my kids would have been in school full time. I had been looking forward to getting a part time job and doing more volunteer work. When we started I committed for no more that 2 years. I thought I'd get Perrin back on track and chuck them both back into public school. :o)
In the fall, we will start our 3rd year of homeschool. Perrin's reading is getting better everyday. He is still not at grade level but is much closer. His math skill have increased as well as his knowledge in history and science.
Connor soaks up everything I teach! He is a very good reader and can remember science and history facts with ease. He is also very good at math, he has caught up with Perrin, so I teach the same grade level to both my boys.
As for the future...I don't know how long we'll keep homeschooling. My vague plan is to teach core curriculum at home for Jr High and High school and have them attend public school for extracurricular activities. Many high schools offer college courses now, so it is my hope that my boys will leave me at 18 with an Associates Degree. You never know what the future will hold, but this is what I'm planning and hoping for.
I'd also like to say, homeschool is not for everyone! It is a huge (and hopefully prayerful) decision. There are not only academic but social issues to think about. I often tell people the hardest thing about homeschooling is just doing it. Getting up everyday and having school when no one else is telling you to.
Anyway, I hope I answered your question Shel. If anyone else has questions just let me know.

Tuesday, June 10, 2008

Saxon Math

For those of you that are currently homeschooling or thinking about homeschooling, I'd like to share my thought on Saxon's Math program. All in all I'd have to say Saxon Math is the best curriculum (for any subject) I have ever come across. It is a complete and intense system.

But 1 warning: Saxon is not for the faint of heart. It is not the kind of program that has you hand your kid a worksheet and walk away. Saxon Math is very heavy on parental involvement.

From the reviews I've read, people either love Saxon or hate it. Here are a few links for Saxon Math reviews:


http://www.illinoisloop.org/mathprograms.html#saxon

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saxon_(teaching_method

http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/30937/saxon_math_review.html?cat=4

While I'm at it, I thought I'd throw in some links to homeschool artices:

http://parentzone.babyzone.com/school/homeschooling/a935/1

http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/368590/home_school_why_one_mother_wont_put.html?cat=4

http://www.lewrockwell.com/orig/zysk1.html

Monday, June 9, 2008

Summer School








I am officially the "meanest mom in the world!" I am making my kid do (gasp!) summer school. I tried to tell the boys they'd thank me when they get into a good college. But they aren't buying it. :o)
Our summer subjects are Reading, Math and Language Arts (which includes Grammar and Explode the Code) We are also going to send some time studying The Sermon on the Mount and Christ's visit to the Americas. All in all it only takes about 4 hours out of our day. By lunch we're free.
One thing Perrin and Connor are really enjoying this summer is piano. They are just getting to the point where they're adding the left hand to their songs. We just had a recital . They each played 4 songs and did very well.

Wednesday, June 4, 2008

Fire Pit








My handy hubby built a fire pit up at Grandma and Grandpa Gundersen's campground. He did such a good job, I couldn't help but share the pictures!

How does your garden grow?





It finally warmed up enough to put the garden in...I hope :o) We spent most of last week tilling, fertilizing and tilling again. All so we could plant beets, beans, squash, peas, carrots, spinach, radishes, pumpkin, zucchini and my favorite the salsa garden. I realize that I am basically posting pictures of dirt. But maybe you can see the vision too.

Tuesday, May 27, 2008

Tag! We're It!




Zack (and Jill) tagged Perrin, wanting to know 11 things about Perrin. So here goes...
1. Perrin is a very hard worker. His current job is mowing Grandpa's lawn. He is very good at saving his money for important things. Along with Connor, he has saved for many computer and play station games and a very special Mother's Day present for me. This week he'll have $40.00 to go toward the laptop they are dreaming of.
2. Perrin loves books! He is forever asking me to read. So far his favorites are "Chickens in the Headlights," "The Hobbit" and "The Sea of Trolls."
3. Perrin loves fishing. He never gets tired of waiting for a fish to bite.
4. Perrin is a good brother. He is very thoughtful toward Connor. And wants to make sure Connor has everything he needs.
5. Perrin loves geocaching. And he's very good at finding tricky caches.
6. Perrin is Dad's man. He loves following Shane anywhere, doing all that Dad does.
7. Perrin is good at math.
8. He is also good at remembering history and science facts.
9. Perrin is brave. Last year when we went sledding, there was a pretty good hill right next to us and a giant hill (that we later named "Mount Doom") farther away. Perrin didn't even try the easy hill. He went strait for "Mount Doom"
10. Perrin LOVES sushi!!! When given a choice of where to eat, he ALWAYS asks for sushi.
11. Perrin's prize possessions are his 4-wheeler and his BB gun.
Okay, this is us tagging Bern, we want to hear 11 things about your beauties. And Stacie (hehehe) we NEED more Terry info! It would also be fun to hear from Colleen, Jeanie, Chrissy and Jill about their other kids, if you have time and room on your blogs.


Monday, May 26, 2008

Surrendering to the mundane…

We had planned to strap on our new backpacks and spend most of this 4 day weekend hiking. But that was before pouring rain AND a broken Jeep got in the way. So we spent Memorial Day weekend doing something we rarely do…watching movies. I finally got to see “I am Legend” (thanks Laura) and the boys rented a Shrek video game that they had fun with. All in all it was pretty fun, even if I didn’t get to wear my hiking boots.
What did you all do this weekend?

Wednesday, May 14, 2008

My Pal...

Tonight we hiked up Little Mountain. (Sorry, no pictures. I forgot the camera.) Little Mountain is basically a big hill of lava rock in the middle of the valley. There are lots of cool caves, which we didn't really get to explore. (forgot the flashlight too) And there is a great view from the top.

So I was a little tired tonight and lagging way behind. Connor came back to find me and we had this little conversation:

Connor: "Want to hold hands, Mom?
Me: "Sure Connor, are you my pal?"
Connor: "Yes! You can always rely on me. When ever you call I will always come. When I'm a grownup, and you feel lonely, you can just call me and I'll come over."

How's that for a Mother's Day treat! Connor is a sweet, sweet boy and I am lucky to be his Mom!

Saturday, May 10, 2008

Mud in a CRD!




The cold weather has hung on for a lot longer than we thought it would. It is already May and we still have snowy/rainy days and nights. But the calender and the Gundersens say that it is spring! :o) We are grateful for all the moisture that we have received, but it has been a very muddy spring for my poor little Jeep!

Last week we decided to go for a little drive. Well, the little drive turned into a 2 mile hike up a game path. We ended up at the head of Trout Creek. There was a beautiful little pond. It was incredible to watch as the water bubbled up from the earth.

Wednesday, April 30, 2008

Big Fat Fish!




We set out to fish the Bear River. We fished til the snow started to fly, and we caught a Utah Sucker Fish.

Dutchoven Chili




I decided to make dutch oven chili last night. Never mind the fact that I had never started a fire by myself. And that I had never cooked anything but the cliche hotdog and marshmallows over a fire. I was a little worried, but it turned out to be really good chili.

Friday, April 25, 2008

Just wondering...

Yesterday I learned that the Trojan War wasn’t started by Paris at all. It was started by Zeus! Poor Paris was just a pawn!

So I was wondering, what have you all learned lately?

Sunday, April 13, 2008

Kendall's Wedding


On Saturday the 12th, Shane, Grandma and Grandpa Rawlings and I drove out to Kendall (Shane’s brother) and Jessica’s wedding. It was a lovely day for a drive and a lovely day for a wedding. A bit cool, but the sun was shining. It was very nice to see them finally married!

Friday, April 11, 2008

Taking the back roads...


So Tuesday we had this crazy idea. I guess that cabin fever set in and we all got tired of waiting for spring. So we set off for the Oneida Narrows...the back way.

We only got stuck once. And heck, my Mom always says, “Your not really stuck til you can't get yourself out.” We were wet and muddy and have a new scratch in the Jeep, but we made it through.

We found the "Bear River Boulders" and "Riverdale Look-Out" geocaches and ended up climbing up a mountian to check out a cool cave.