School Year Starts

Sadly, summer break went much too fast.

To celebrate John's and Ella's remarkable grades from the prior year, we took them on a weekend of FUN!

Ella chose to go to Make Meaning and decorate a cake.  John made a candle.

We also saw Despicable Me 2 and went to the water park.

Way to go guys!

John made Principal's List for massive improvement over the past year.  He also scored a whopping 97th percentile in math standardized testing.  Go John!  Ella's straight A's blew my mind.  Her favorite subject is also math and her artistic abilities are endless.  Are these really my children??

The 2013-14 school year began so soon. With temperatures still well over 100, it still felt very much like summer. Such is the case when you live in Arizona.

 John and Ella looked ever so stylish. We are using backpacks from last year to save $$.

I still stand in awe of these amazing kiddos.  How did I become SO blessed?

Mom (a.k.a. - Nana) Helped me sketch out a kitchen and we have been tackling this massive project over the past couple of weeks.  It's a good thing she's taking some time off from work.  

While the kids have been at school, sometimes we (I) get a little overzealous about things.

I got very mad at some plumbing issues and noticed Mom trying to trench through the yard for a rose garden.  "Give me that pick ax!" I exclaimed.

This was how I got my angries out.

Slowly the backyard is coming together.

When the kids get home they often help with moral support...

...And physical support.

We were shocked when our dog baby Mona darted our of yard and chased down our neighbor's mastiff who was taking a walk.

Good gravy!!

What was she thinking??

The mastiff nearly killed her.  The neighbor had to pry the "sandlot" dog off of our little trouble maker.

Mona's courage and stupidity earned her two puncture wounds and bite marks all over her front quarters.

In the morning she could not walk.  Off to the emergency clinic we went.  I thought for sure she had irreversible internal damage.

Fortunately, no!

Mona, don't do that again.  

And I love you.

On the weekends we've been filling our days with church.

This is how I found Ella in the spare bedroom on a recent fast Sunday.

Ella dear, arise and shine forth!

Sweetly, she fasted for me to get better from an illness.  I was healed and grateful for her faith.

We woke up very early this past weekend for a ward temple trip to the Snowflake, Arizona Temple

Ella was just thrilled to visit such a wonderful place.  Isn't she heavenly?  

"We are daughters of our Heavenly Father, who loves us, and we love Him"...

Bon Bon, I can't even stand how cool you are.

It was a family trip to remember.