Kid's crafts

Here is a bigger picture of the kids crafts & our school room! I'll take more pictures of our school & post them later.

Our School!

We have had a great time this month in school! We have been studying about the Ocean. Specifically about Sharks, Dolphins & Octopuses. Since we love the beach we love to study about anything that has to do with the ocean! Each kid made a book, that they colored, about the things we were studying about. We then made a "Japanese" fish to hang in our school room & an Octopus (out of a balloon, crete paper, glue, & googly eyes). We had alot of fun. Click on the picture to enlarge. It is pretty amazing what the kids know about Sharks, Dolphins & Octopuses now. That is the great thing about homeschooling is that you can learn about the things that your interested in. To end our month on the ocean we are going to go to the aquarium. We are really excited about our trip & will have to wear our field trip shirts!

Bryce has a new favorite book to read. He is really getting into the Cat in the Hat books. They are really fun to read & we love their humor. Bryce really loves to make costumes & projects that go along with the things we are reading. He made these really cool glasses! The dogs in his book were wearing glasses (well goggles), so he made some also. Bryce has a problem with workbooks & so he was struggling with math a little. So, after we came back from Christmas break we haven't touch the math book. Instead I just use objects (toys, money, snacks, etc.) & we do addition & subtraction with them. He is really starting to do alot better since we stopped using the book. We just started working on counting by 3's & he is really catching on quickly, which is such a relief to me.

Then their is Brayden! Brayden woke up one morning, a few weeks ago, and told me that he wanted to learn to read today. Yeah! I had taught him all his alphabet & all their sounds, but he really didn't have any interest to learn to read yet. SO, this was music to my ears. I got out these little books called "BOB BOOKS". They take simple sounds and make words out of them. They are awesome to use to help kids learn to read. Well, we are in book 6 (out of the 12) in the 1st series. He is doing awesome and it is so fun to see him get excited about learning to read. He is such a bright little boy. He also picks up math really fast. He can count to 100, count by 10's, and now by 5's. I just started teaching him how to count by 5. I showed him the pattern & we worked on it 1 day, just to 30. Well, the next day we started going over it & the little dude counted all the way to 100. Just after showing him the pattern 1 time. I am amazed! Math was not my thing but he definately takes after his father.

I am so proud of all the kids & how well they are doing in school. After moving here we struggled a little bit because everyone was missing Bryan, it was warm outside & the kids just didn't want to do school. So after alot of soul searching & getting ideas from Cheree (THANK YOU CHEREE!) we are starting to have alot of fun! And the kids are loving it, which makes life so much easier. The girls are learning the ABC's & numbers, which they weren't interested in at first. But each day they get excited about their turn with mommy on the white board working.

It is definately hard, especially at first, to homeschool, but I am so thankful that I have hung in their. I get to spend everyday with my children watching them learn, seeing their excitement, and having fun with them. I definately need to find time for me, occassionally, but I am thankful for this time with my children!

My Little Boy is Growing Up!

I can't believe that this day is almost here. My little boy is growing up. I still remember the day he was born. How beautiful he was! When he was born we looked forward to his baptism, but I can't believe he is turning 8 already. He is excited about becoming a member of the
Church of Jesus Christ of Latter - Day Saints!

Bryce's Baptism will be on Sat. Feb. 7th (his 8th birthday!) @ 3 pm at our church. His friend from his class will also be baptised this day. Doesn't he look so handsome in his suit!

We will also have him a birthday party, at our house, after the baptism. AND hope that alot of our family & friends will be able to attend this special day in Bryce's life. For any & all who want to attend we will make room for you. We have a big house so we can pretend we are at the cabin again in the Smokie Mountains.

I am so proud of Bryce. He is such a good big brother & tries to help out. He is really becoming a good example to his friends at church and in our neighborhood. His teachers love him & tell me he is such a sweet spirit who is always willing to help, who is always so reverent & a good example to the others who might be acting out. He is such a wonderful blessing to our family!

Brayden loves his big brother & wants to be just like him! He hates that he isn't turning 8 so that he can be baptised just like Bryce. They are the best of friends, especially since we homeschool & they are always together. They wouldn't have it any other way. Bryce started scouts & that has also been hard on Brayden, he wants to go with him & doesn't like it when Bryce leaves him behind (because he isn't old enough). My boys are growing up & are such handsome little men!

We look forward to ya'll sharing this special day with us! I have made announcements & plan to get them in the mail today. We love all of you & are thankful for the example that you are to our children. They love knowing that our family are members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. Thank you for your testimonies & your example. I am thankful for my Dodd & Ardis' family. We are truly blessed!

Duece's Homecoming!

On January 3rd, I got to bring my baby home! I hardly slept the night before waiting to get my sweet baby boy. I had waited 4 weeks for him & it felt like forever. It's a good thing I didn't have to wait 9 months! I know he is a puppy but he has become my baby! We ALL love him & are excited he has joined our family.

Here are all my kids! The kids love Deuce and hopefully he loves have 4 siblings since he left 6 siblings behind. His poor mom had 7 puppies to take care of at one time. I think the kids were as excited as I was to pick him up.

Brayden loves Deuce & was excited to show him his new home & new yard! Oh, notice the new hair cut his brother gave him.

Taking a rest! I think the 4 kids wore him out. He would play hard w/ the kids for about an hour & then sleep for a few hours. (Just like a little baby). But he is like a 2 year old in that I am having to potty train him (definately NOT fun). But you definately have to take the bad with the good, and the good is alot better than the bad.

Yes, it is winter here, so I bought him a sweater to wear on cold days. Doesn't he look cute. I need a black & gold sweater, but we are in TX so no such luck. So, if anyone in LA can hook me up with a Saints dog sweater that would be awesome. We bought him a saints collar & leash.

The day after we got him we had an ICE storm! Good ole Texas winter! It was so cold & icy so he had on his sweater & a jacket. Can you tell he isn't that impressed with the Jacket. Poor baby! I thought it was pretty funny!

We are doing great having alot of fun with our new baby. He gets LOTS of hugs & kisses from the kids. Bryce loves to play tug a war with him. The girls LOVE to hold him (which I am sure he probably gets tired of), and Brayden wishes he was ONLY his dog. Me, I just thought I had graduated from potty training & getting up in the middle of the night. But what can I say, he is such a cutie & a love him to death. SO, he is worth it!

We had a Great December! We have been extremely busy with getting ready for Christmas, visiting with family & enjoying Christmas together with Bryan.

Unfortunately, the disk that has alot of the pictures of things we have been doing this month is missing. So, when I find it I will share those with you. Until then, here is some pictures from Christmas!

We started the month out with decorating for Christmas and taking a family picture to send out with our christmas letter.

On Christmas Eve the kids just insisted on leaving cookies for Santa!

I think he enjoyed them!



He left behind scooters for the kids, which they have been begging for since we moved in and all the neighbor kids had one. They were very excited!

They were also excited to see that the fireplace door was left open, with his hand print on the fireplace, the cookies almost eaten, and the reigndeer food eaten outside.

Bryan got a new saints shirt from April, which he loves, a saints football from his parents, and a grill & a golf organizer from me. He had a great christmas!




I had an awesome christmas with my family, and also anticipating getting my new puppy! He was/is my christmas present and I am so excited that in a day & a half he gets to come home! Yeah!

Bryce got his scooter, a remote control car, a hotwheels track, transformers & lots of hotwheels. He said that he had the best christmas ever!



Brayden got the scooter he wanted, his guitar, a remote control car, transformers & hotwheels.

Savanah got her princess scooter, a PINK "real" guitar that she wanted, a McDonald's cash register & food, pans for her kitchen, and lots more.



Sierra also got a princess scooter, a "play" Hannah Montana Guitar, a large stuffed bulldog (she loves puppies), a dolls, barbies, etc.

We had a great CHRISTMAS! The kids looked cute in their Christmas cloths and the girls loved their "Santa" dresses.




This month was also excited because Sierra graduated from Nursery! She is so excited to be a Sunbeam. Ever so often, out of the blue, she says "I'm going to be a Sumbeam". She is such a cutie!

We are also planning & looking forward to Bryce's baptism coming up in 6 weeks! We are so proud of him & can't wait til his baptism & birthday on Saturday, Feb. 7th. He will be baptised on his birthday by his dad & hope that you all can come and be with us for this very special day in Bryce's life!