Our Sandbox City

This is our newly constructed sandbox that we had my brother put in for us this summer. I am amazed at how long the kids can stay out there. Tonight I was thinking about how at my age, just how uncomfortable I would be to be digging in the sandbox because I would be so worried about how dirty the sand is, or in which crevice the sand was going, or what had been or pooped in the sand, or how it was going under my fingernails, and yet they just play, dig, imagine, create all sorts of things! Ignorance truly is bliss!

PS Lyssa...you can see how we pulled out the trees that were in the south end of the yard and put this in the south-east corner...and yes they are sadly building behind us and taking away our view of the temple and of timp

First Day of Preschool for Kindra

Today was Kindra's first day of Preschool and I was nervous that she would have a hard time but NOPE! She just opened the door, said hello to Ms Brenda, and walked in! She all ready has a hippo song memorized so she didn't have too hard of a time!! Thank goodness!! She is a Jr Katie from what mom says so I don't know if that will be good or bad but I guess we'll see :)

How do you like the one with her favorite new pet, the new Halloween cat that I just bought? My new project has become Halloween and you can see the changing table behind her that I found at a garage sale that I am going to spray paint black to create my Dept 56 Halloween creation....he he he.... Just Wait!!!

Good Old FHE

This is to Lyssa and any other parents out there.....You would be so proud of what we did for FHE. We used one of the FHE lessons that Mom put together for us and the kids really had fun with it. But the activity that made me so happy was the "art project" that I came up with! I went out and found some foam paper and some pipe cleaners so that we could make paper flowers! I know, so cheasey, but it was so fun and I was so proud of myself for pulling that out of my mind from when I was a kid and so proud of the kids because they got so into it and got so creative. It was another one of those moments when you realize just how big your kids are getting and when you realize that you really can be creative and do it!

Elder Terry's Homecoming

Elder Terry's Homecoming

It is official! John-Charles has been released from serving his mission and spoke today for his "homecoming". He spoke on what it really means to be repentant combined with some of his missionary experiences. He did a really great job and it was a great talk. It was fun to go back to my parents ward and see some friends who I have not seen in a long time! We missed the Zimmermans but Emma would have only added to the cousin confusion :)

We of course had to have our traditional Terry family competitions that begun with the boys seeing who could jump and hit their elbows on the ceiling....sadly enough...John-Charles was the only one who could not do it. Then begun the arm wrestling and poor Dad was hoping that he still had it in him, but not so much! Jake was getting a little too arrogant so I had to get down there and show him what is up, but not so much! I lost!!! Can you believe it! :(

Overall it was a great day with lots of food, lots of family, and lots of good times !

We are so, so, so happy to have John-Charles home!!!

1st Day of 1st Grade for Carter

It is not until moments like this that I realize just how big my kids are getting. It was the first day of school for Carter last week and he went into the 1st Grade. I remember things from the 1st Grade.....going to the school library and reading "The Boxcar Children", swinging from the monkey bars upside down, riding my bike to school and "pumping" with Angie Gear, winning the book reader contest for the most books being read and written down on a big list in a certain period of time, running around Shelley Elementary chasing the "gingerbread man"...and so I want to make sure that Carter has good 1st Grade memories! But sadly enough, his first day did not turn out so good. I don't know if it was excitement, nerves, something he ate, or a combination of all of these aspects that made him sick but he came home sick and did not go to school his second day. He got off the bus just crying "I want my Mommy to pick me up from school"! It broke my heart but I tried to talk to him about the positive events of the day and of going to school. It worked thank goodness because he went back! So now it will be Kindra's turn on Tuesday so lets cross our fingers for only good things to come!