Driving by with a birthday hi!

Natalie came to spend some time with us, wish it wasn’t during the busyness of volleyball but I will take her whenever I can get her, I would drive to moon for her.  I loved looking at the night sky with my 2 best friends. 

I made Brant peach pie instead of cake for his birthday and we planned on hiking but with the rain we ended up going on a drive instead. 

Brant is awesome at going with whatever life throws at us.  His sister of course made Birthday cookies for him

 check out her post about him @ http://sweetshopnatalie.blogspot.com/2013_08_01_archive.html    

One thing I love about him is how much he appreciates the beauty that surrounds us. 

This year it has been fun to watch him enjoy city league softball (thus the big league chew) 

Bennett has enjoyed the games too J  

 

 Even though the number of birthdays keeps getting higher, I am having joy in the journey love who I get to travel through life with!     

SUM work

find Bennett he did sum work too!

We only had a 10 week summer.  Rianne is a bookworm and wanted a kindle she asked what she could do to get one.  Well I thought ok I will do a chore program where they can get paid and told her if she had ½ by the end of the summer I would pay half.  Then Heath wanted in on it for a DSI.  I thought I was safe because Heath is so impulsive.  They both did it!  And we found them for a good deal.  Earning it took some work.  It meant filling in prairie dog holes EVERYDAY we started with over 20 in the front yard and finished the summer with only 3.  It took some persistence but it felt good to see some progress we still have some work to do in the front but it is coming.  After we got back from MT we realized we had more help than we thought from this (little) guy. 

They also showed persistence with having to do 10 big scoops EVERYDAY and by the end of the summer SUCCESS we were able to get the trampoline in the ground.  Brant gave them more help than they realized.  I was actually very proud of both the kids they set up a budget and stuck to it putting quite a bit in their mission funds.  We still have Some work to do but I am grateful they are learning to work.        

After sum work deciding Rianne made a choice to attend middle school instead of being  home schooled.  As we went to registration and found her locker it was hard to believe my baby girl is in middle school.  I taught her how to do the lock (and other kids and parents as well).  Later I snuck up and filled her locker with supplies and treats for the first day, I figure she needed a reward just opening it.  She is not thrilled with the dress code or having a top locker (she is short) She is excited about being in the engineering program they have it is going to take sum work.  She also has radio for enrichment classes and can’t wait to be on radio station. 

 Heath is in 2^nd grade I have to admit I have some apprehensions but here he goes hope his teacher is ready for him, he will take sum work.   

We had our traditional armor of God family home evening and fathers blessings.  Ready or not there is sum more work ahead of us, I hope they remember to work I will need their contributions to the house with me starting another season of volleyball.  Hope we are armored up :)                

MT HIGH

Rianne and Heath had their first airplane flight to the Higley Reunion hosted by my brother in beautiful Bozeman, Montana.  Chad & Bennett dove right in and got reacquainted again.  This is his way of saying hi to Chad who is the self-proclaimed “best uncle ever”! 

 

 

We hiked to the M. which is pretty high too!   

I really enjoyed my nieces and nephews and loved the side conversations.  Why do I enjoy teenagers so much? 

 

Bennett is really into bugs right now and was very excited to find this caterpillar.   

 

We had a big Family Home Evening Chad went around and thanked each of his siblings and gave personal and sincere compliments and shared memories.  Then he shared how Lorenzo Snow gave his posterity blessings nearing his 70^th birthday.  My dad will be turning 70 this fall.  Chad wanted to do this for my dad.  My dad gave each of us 5 kids blessings which was pretty eventful for our family.  My mom was so choked up she couldn’t talk but said she would just write it down… we are anxiously awaiting her words J

Again we had the how much Chad has changed discussion, which is odd to me because while some of his lifestyle has changed he is so much the same person.  I love my obnoxious, crazy, caring, fun, face touching older brother.          

 

Bozeman is very beautiful it was a lot like flagstaff but way more water, which our family took advantage of. 

 

 

 

I was so excited to see my Niece Stephanie and meet beautiful Olivia.  I really enjoyed every second I got to spend with them. 

 

She is an amazing mom and it was fun to see her in that role.  Olivia is so adorable

 

She is like her mom (my sister) and yet so different too.  I am so proud of the woman that she is.    

It was a great time that we even found ourselves doing cartwheels!

Don’t know how I will DUCK out of it next year. 

As always, I have a tough act to follow doing the reunion next year.  Some things never change I've been following Chad all my life.