2014

Here is our front porch year in review!  2014, I can't believe that it is almost over!  Went way too fast.....

Beginning of the year!

Started off with our little Jaxson being born in January, and he went from little to big in no time. It is amazing to me how kids grow so fast when they are little, and then of course the rest of us are always trying to slow down our growth because it doesn't happen where or when we want it to!  Wyatt, Xander and Jaxson have kept us all busy and loving life this year.  Wyatt is 8, Xander 3, and Jax will be 1
soon.

Xander, Rosie, and Jax

I love having my kids with families live close to me, as it offers me many chances to be a grandma.  Nothing better in life than that.  We go through our own kids and the
struggles, so that in the end we have the fantastic reward of grandchildren!  Well, that isn't the only reward, but it is one of the best ones! Matt and Beth, Tal and Jim both live close, which is a huge blessing in our lives.

Dano switched programs from English major to Digital Media and Communication Arts, or some big name like that.  He is loving it.  One and a half years left and he will be done.  I know that sounds like such a long time, but wow does it go fast!  Kyre went off to U of L this past  year taking her third year of Fine Arts.  She loves the fine arts part of it, but doesn't love the University environment.  Can't blame her, she took the first two years here at the college in the Hat, and it is such a warm friendly environment, and then bamm!  U of L, cold cement, and not very friendly!  Took some adjusting!  After her time at U of L then she will be off to Art Therapy school out in BC.  Hang in there Kyre.  :)   I miss not having them around all the time, but I guess I can't be too selfish and have all my kids live here, right?

Kimball graduates this year!  True story!  How did that ever happen?  Cyera is in grade 10 too.  They keep me hoppin still!   I miss those days of having my little ones at home and home school every day.  Those were

fun days full of lots of memories.  I have people ask me all the time if I could do it all again, would I home school my kids, and I say definitely, without a doubt.  Now that K and C are in high school - their choice - I have been working in the school system with the preschool classes, and I see the kids out there, and then I look at the kids I have raised and no doubt in my mind, I would do it all over again.  My kids are pretty darn good kids.  All of them.  Have we had our struggles along the way?  Sure thing, but they would have been there regardless, and I am sure the struggles would have been way different and probably worse in many ways, had they all pushed through public school.  Home school was the only way to go, in my mind.  I know it isn't for everyone, but it was good for us.

Highlights of the year, we built a really great grape arbor with a nice little creek bed under it, in our back

yard.  I love to sit out there in the summer.  We also went camping this summer, which is always one of my favorite things to do.  I love the lazy days of camping, and the times by the fire.  We went to Elkwater this
time and found some real beauty there.  Some of it actually made me feel like we were in the mountains, out in the middle of the prarie!  Pretty sweet! Will probably do that again this summer 2015.  Otherwise, it was a quiet year, yet a really good one.  Looking forward to Christmas this year, I know I actually said that!!  Santa will be doing his rounds Christmas Eve again, and I have two weeks off work!  Wahoo!  That is the nice part about working for the school, I get the same holidays as them. 

Here is to hoping that 2015 tops 2014, with another camping trip planned, and a trip to Utah planned for a family reunion.  I am sure many more opportunities to spend with my little boys, lots of bon fires, play dates at the parks, back yard picnics, - just have to get through the next few months of winter - then the fun begins!  Yet here we are on December 9th, 2014 at 8:00 in the morning and it is 5degrees above 0 outside, melting the snow like crazy!  Can't complain!

Chapters In Our Lives

I love turning the pages of a book to open a new chapter.  The new chapter is always full of new information, or new characters, or new adventures.  Book reading to me, is an adventure, and I am so glad that I have passed it on to most of my kids.

I kind of look at life like a great novel.  It is full of adventures, romance, trials, climax after climax, and of course what goes along with those climax's are the lows and highs of life.  As we have moved from place to place, when our kids were young, I used to always say that we were opening a new chapter in life with each new place that we lived.  Each place brought new friends, new adventures, new experiences that taught many life lessons.

Here is a brief synopsis of the chapters in our lives, not including our childhoods.  I think it is a great place to

start writing a life history book for my kids, and I think it should be called "Our Identity" because all of these things that we have experienced along the journey, have created who we are today - a family that loves to play together and work together, and make great memories together!

Chapter One I consider to be the chapter where Matt and I grew together alone for the first two years of his life.  It was a tough chapter, full of crazy stories and many challenges.  One that taught me some really valuable life lessons, some of which I may or may not wish to repeat. Then we met Logan.

Chapter Two we lived mainly in Lethbridge or Coaldale and back and forth, and bam!, had Talia, Dano, and Kyre back to back to make our numbers equal four kids.  Life was great.  We created many dear friends and had lots of fun, but also had some struggles.  Financially it wasn't always great, but we were too stinkin busy with four little kids to notice much anyways.  We eventually moved back to Magrath, in fact it was around the time that Kyre was born, or not too long before that.  I kind of can keep track by where each kid was born.  Talia and Dano both born in Lethbridge, and Kyre in Magrath.  Oh those were busy, but fun days.  We bought a home, such as it was, a bit of a fixer upper - you might say.  We had some family strife, which spurred us on to a impromptu vacation out to BC, which opened the way for the next chapter which included our move to BC.

Chapter Three, the adventure in British Columbia begins.  Kyre was three when we moved there.  We only

lived in BC for five short years, but what a great experience.  Life long friendships created there.  Oh how I miss those fun filled years.  We were poor, broke and struggling, but our kids didn't know any better.  I shudder today to think of how they had to walk so far to school all the time.  I guess it really wasn't that far, but for little ones, it was pretty far.  I always had a few kids in the home that I babysat, and we had one vehicle, so life was pretty simple.  These were great days of exploring, hiking, playing, and having so much fun.  Great chapter, when I eventually get around to writing it.

Chapter Four, back in Magrath.  I have always loved Magrath, but it seems like that just isn't where the Lord wanted us to be.  Again, we thought we were coming back to purchase a family farm, but alas, it was not meant to be. We bought a house that we renovated to the point where we loved it.  Life was great again.  The kids walked a block to school, walked to their friends places, and started really growing up here.  Old friendships were renewed and we began rebuilding family bonds that needed desperately to be mended.  We had my sister, and her family move in with us for a few months, and those were a bit stressful days for all of us, but days that I wouldn't trade.  Fond memories.  Job struggles, financial challenges, but great times.  Then the Lord opened the way for another chapter by landing Logan a job in Medicine Hat.

Chapter Five, Medicine Hat.  A move to Medicine Hat that started with living in Brooks at my Dad's farm

for the summer, and ended in us buying a house in Medicine Hat, close to the High School.  The opening of this chapter was a great adventure, except that Matt didn't come with us at first.  Rocky roads had happened as we were first time parents of teenagers.  They have smoothed into fairly nice paved roads though, - knock on wood - and Medicine Hat has been really good for our family.  Not without it's challenges though.  For Talia and Dano, there were a ton of LDS youth which allowed them to be pretty involved and social.  The youth started to dwindle over the years, and when we are

now down to Kimball and Cyera, slim pickins at best.  It is a struggle, but one that they are meeting head on, and will win.  Through this chapter, Talia, Daniel, and Kyre have all graduated and gone on to school.  Kimball and Cyera currently in high school.  Between Talia and Matt we have three grandsons, the extreme joy of our lives.  This chapter has had it's challenges too, but they have been different in struggle.  Still financial struggles off and on, but nothing like when we were younger.  This chapter will have to be broken down into other chapters, as it is the longest so far.

Chapter Six, the grandchildren come along, kids are at university and college, and

we are pretty much determined that it would have to be something pretty great to get us to move away now, at this point.  Our family is growing
here, and this is home.

Chapter Seven - to be determined yet - but I am pretty sure it will include more weddings, more grandchildren, more missions, many more great memories, and sadly yet with some bit of excitement we will
eventually be empty nesters.  I don't know how I feel about looking ahead to that, but it will come none the less. It will be the best yet, I am sure!  It will bring new adventures, new friends, and new memories!

Homemaking Things I have Learned - Through The Years

As I was cutting Talia's hair the other day, and then she in turn cut mine, I was thinking of all of the things that

I have learned through the years at "Homemaking", which was called "Enrichment" for a time, and is now just called Relief Society.  You know it was all of those extra meetings once or twice a month that we have attended for years, the ones that have saved me thousands of dollars through the years, just because of the little things I have been taught.
For one, I took a hair cutting class, actually twice, and it was free.  I have always cut my boys hair, and usually my girls hair.  I have also taught Talia and Cyera to do some of the basic cuts that I know about.  Just think 30 ish years of haircuts for 6 people - how much money would that save you?

I learned to make some amazing food dishes like, spanish rice, low fat baking, canning, cooking with beans, dehydrating, cookies, making bread, using bread dough for baking so many other things, how to cook with wheat, sprouting, and on and on.  Even though I grew up knowing how to cook from scratch, it was those Relief Society meetings that fine tuned everything and taught me to make them yummy!

I learned organizational skills, parenting skills, marriage skills (yup they really are skills), preparedness skills, gardening skills, frugal living skills, and all kinds of skills.  I feel like I am fairly self reliant in many ways, just because of the skills that I have learned and shared back.  Yes, I have even learned crafting skills like crochet and knitting, and making crafty things, which I don't love to do!

I learned to love service and value friendships created through it.  I could literally name dozens of dear close friends that I have found through the years through service and Relief Society.  It doesn't seem to matter

where we have lived, I find instant bonds with my great sisters in the gospel.

I have learned and strengthened many gospel principles through the years.  My faith is always growing.  It has been challenged from time to time in my life, but thus far I have always come out on top!

I have even learned some decorating skills, but unfortunately I don't use them very much!  You see my life is pretty plain Jane, (which is how I like it), but give me the challenge of throwing together a party or wedding or something like that, and I can throw a good one!  But don't ask, because I am also learning to say NO!  Haha.  That one is taking probably the most time of all to learn.

So next time I grumble, or you grump, because we have to go to yet "another" Relief Society meeting, we should ask ourselves, what will I be able to gain from this tonight?  A spiritual growth?  A skill? A friend? A new idea? A time out? A time to recharge?  Whatever it is, I guarantee you will gain something, or learn something, if you go with the right attitude.  You may not even realize that you have gained anything, until at some future point in your life, you will remember it at the right moment, and be able to use something from it.

I challenge you to try it! Kiddos of mine that read this - just do it.  No questions or grumping allowed, just do it and learn!

Home Education Past and Present

Kyre and Daniel at the time I started home schooling Daniel.

About 13 years ago, I started home schooling!  I can't believe I did it for that long.  I had always thought I

might like to give it a try, because I really loved having my kids home all day.  I didn't like sending them off.  To me it felt like I was betraying them and turning them over to someone else to take care of them.  I know it isn't really that way, but I kind of felt that.  So when Daniel started having struggles in grade three, I decided that I would take the plunge into "home schooling" your children.

It was bizarre how the opposition was there to greet me.  The most prominent opposition was people that were "concerned" with his socialization.  Really??  Of all things to worry about?  I would have thought that the concerns would have been for his education!  I guess that just goes to show you that our world really is a messed up place.  I was pulling him from school because of the socialization!

I had a really great support system through a wonderful lady "Wendy" who was part of our school district and was actually involved in alternate education.  She understood exactly why I was pulling this angry, struggling little boy from the school "environment" and bringing him home, and she gave me the best advice that anyone could have at that time, and even today.  She told me just to love him and make him happy again, forget about school for awhile until he is in that place where he is willing to learn.  She told me that any child can succeed if they know they are loved!  At that time, I really didn't realize just how profound this advice was.

So in my total naivety, I pulled him from the public school system and started on our journey.  For the first many months, in fact almost the whole first year, we just played.  We did do a bit of "school" if you want to call it that, because we did read - a lot - but mostly we just played.  Then behold, my angry little boy, that just knew the world hated him, became a happy boy again, because he knew he was loved again.  Did we ever fall behind because of all of that time we had off to just play?  Never.  You don't realize how much time is really wasted with unimportant stuff in school, until you try to teach your kids at home.  Daniel missed that year of school, but graduated from high school right on track to where he should have been.  Nothing lost, but everything gained!  He still loves to read and to write today.  That love of the word was fostered in him, and it has carried him through some tough times.  He is my most avid reader at home, and is pursuing his career in writing.

I have home school each of my kids for various reasons and various lengths of time, all except my oldest.  He wasn't up for that at all, and that's okay.  Talia, only did for a very short time.  Each of my kids has gone on to do what they wanted to do with their education.  All of them went back to school in their senior years, at least part time, because it was their choice.  At that point in their life they wanted the "social".  It was important to them.  They also wanted to start learning some of the extra curricular classes in school that I wasn't prepared or equipped to teach them at home. So off they went, and so far all have graduated and are pursing their education or careers.

And play we did!

I loved every minute of teaching my kids.  Many days we got nothing done but playing, but those are some great memories.  There was hard work too.  Frustrations, definitely!  Would I do it again, absolutely!  I loved watching my kids grow and learn in an environment that I chose for them.  Not what the world chose.  I watched as they grew socially too, into the respectful, great people they are today.  I can't say the same for the public school system.

Now I am not knocking the system.  It serves it's purpose and I have and am still using it for it's purpose.  I guess my one piece of advice to you would be, use the system for your benefits.  If you want to home school, do it.  If you need public school, be involved so that it works best for your kid.  It is there for us, and even though they often would make you believe differently, as a parent you have the most important say in your child's education!  You have the right, and the responsibility to stand up for what is best and right for your kiddo's.  Don't let them tell you differently.  Fight for what you know is best for them.  I did create a bit of a ruckus from time to time, fighting for what I needed done for my kids, but I always won, because I didn't quite.

I remember a time when Daniel was ready to go back to high school, grade 10, and he only wanted to go back part time, for the optional classes that he couldn't take at home.  Our local school wasn't going to allow him part time, because that would mean he would be registered in this school district and his online school district and that wasn't legal, or so they tried to tell me.  I luckily had done my research and knew that it was legal and they legally could not refuse me.  So I pushed, and wrote a few letters, and challenged them, and I won.  I have been told by a few people through the years thanks for that one, because now there are many in this school that do the same thing.  Sometimes all you need to do is pave the way, and don't give up if you know it is right.

Home education today is far different than it was the 13 + years ago that I started.  The options out there are limitless.  In fact, I was browsing online a year or so ago, looking at some of the different options, and I actually found a site down in Florida, that is completely an online virtual student.  It was the coolest thing I had ever seen.  Your child logs in each morning with his avatar that he / she created, and enters into a virtual classroom setting.  For example, if they were working on a social studies or history assignment, and walked

http://www.virtualclassrooms.info/example.htm

into their history class, as their avatar - which looks just like a video game world - they would find their assignments in that classroom.  They could communicate in that class with whichever other students were attending that class at the same time.  The lessons and assignments all were in the classroom as videos, tutorials, online exams, and chat rooms with the teachers. If they were learning about a particular era of history, they could enter that room / world and experience it through a virtual world and culture. Learning about the ocean would be experienced as if they were under the water and a part of it.   It was so cool.  As the student you would do your essays or assignments and upload them to the classroom and your teacher.  You could decide if they were visible to the other classmates or not.  At the end of the day, or the hour or whatever you had time for, you log off from your avatar.   Who needs books anymore?  The world is literally at our fingertips!  What a way to learn.  Unfortunately, these scenarios are still fairly expensive to register your student in, but if I could have given my kids these opportunities to learn like this, especially those kids that have a hard time with books and writing, wow!  It would have been incredible.

Teaching your kids at home, is such a bonding experience, and one that I am glad I took the time out of my own life to do.  Was it a sacrifice on my part?  Not really, because I have always believed that I had kids so

Bonding with cousins, going for a picnic

I could raise them, not send them off to someone else for 10 hours a day to be raised and taught values that I didn't want them to learn.  Sometimes, I wonder if I did the right thing for them, but then I look at who they are today, and I know it was a good thing.  There is no one right or wrong answer or way to do it.  The world is wide opening for your learning.  Embrace it!


This is the first year in 30 years that I will have no kids at home, and I will actually be working full time outside the home.  It is a new world, but one that I am ready to take on.  I will miss the years of teaching my kids.  However, I am sure that I will have my fair share helping out with the grandkids.  I look forward to that.  The only regret I have is that I didn't take more pictures!

July Fun

We have had lots of fun this July.  We have been camping in Elkwater, playing in creeks, growing lots of things, at the Calgary Zoo, at a reunion in Beazer, at a reunion in Brooks, and it just seems like it has been a whirlwind of playing.  If you know me, you know that I am all about making great memories!  That is what life is about.  Memories and knowledge are the only things we get to take with us when we die, so why not make the most of both of them.  Well, we have made memories this summer!  Here are some of them caught on paper!

At the Zoo, Wyatt, Kimball, Jax, Cyera and Xander

At the Zoo, Kyre was being a slacker and had to catch a ride!

Xander and Wyatt - they loved the dinosaurs - this one was friendly!

Lots of outside time - Cyera and Xander

Cousins chillin in Brooks

More cousins chillin in Brooks! 

Bonfires and Tent in Elkwater

Kimmi trying to keep little ones happy! 

Two little men Checking for bugs in the grass!  Haha

And now we are just over half was done summer!  Oh man, gotta take some more pictures and get busy making more memories before it is all over again.  Bonfires, walks, and parks! 

Looking forward to the reunion next year in Utah!  Gonna be a good one!

A Reader Lives 1000 Lives

I have always loved this quote:

Some of the lives we have lived through the years

I love the fact that my kids have always been readers.  Through the years, we have always read together as a family.  In fact for many many years, and through many adventures, I would sit down each night with the little ones gathered around and I would read out loud to them.  We would read books like Harry Potter, Tennis Shoes Among the Nephites (a fantastic series), Inkheart and so many more.  It would be the best times and my kids remember them well.  It was always the groaning and pleading that I loved when I would say that is enough for the night, and they all wanted more.  I believe that because I did this with them, they all have a great love of reading.  They each picked it up at their own times in life, and they each like reading different types of books, but for the most part they all love it.  And they are all really excellent readers.  I remember when Kimball took his reading comprehension test in grade nine, he scored at a 2nd year university level.

I took a class about eight years ago which went through the benefits of reading out loud to your children.  How their brain develops, how you bond together, etc.  In that class the teacher talked about these two books in particular

 

 

excellent books I highly recommend

Of course I had to go straight out and buy these books.  If you have kids, I would highly recommend them.  They will not only explain the benefits of why you should read to your children, but they will instill in you the urge to do it for the good of your whole family.  Check them out from your local library, or go the bookstore and purchase them.  It will be well worth your few dollars spent.

I love to watch my big kids read books now.  They get so involved in the stories, it is like they are living right there with the characters.  They laugh, cry, and make all kinds of noise depending on what is happening.  I truly believe that if you can help develop the love of reading in your kids, they will truly live 1000 lives or more before they die.  There is always another adventure, always another world to discover or another character to live.  It is pretty cool to watch.

We have graduated from Hogwart's, we have been to the land of the Nephites, we have been trapped in dungeons, fought in battles, had the best romantic adventures, lost loved ones, found best friends, loved the protagonist, and sometimes even the "bad guys", been through many spiritual experiences, and all of this we have shared as a family through reading with each other.   What fantastic experiences we have shared together.  I wouldn't trade it for anything.


I never pushed sports, but always supported it if they wanted to be involved.  I never pushed reading either, but just showed them how it was done.  Then I would watch as their own love of reading developed along the way.  Best thing I could have done for them.

What Mom Said

Just Go Say I Can

Remembering Back

Was looking back through some old photos today, remembering some memories!

Oh how the years zip right along..............

 

 

 

 

 

 

Davilyn holding Talia, Bobbi Rae holding Jo, Terra holding Vandi, Deedan holding Ylanna, Sherylin holding Mysha

25 years has gone by pretty fast since this particular photo was taken!

Yup I used to bath those little rascals together! Saved time!

Way back in the days of black and white!  Yes we used to play in the mud then too!

Matt and Denita - yup I can see Jaxson!

Lots of the cousins and Uncle Doug - at the Zoo - year about 2001?

Awesome Camping Trip

It has been a great week.  Elkwater has some really beautiful places to explore and probably the best thing is the peace of nature.  I love the peace and quiet of the surroundings and then hearing Xanders little chatter stand out above the rest.

Might have to make this memory again!  But will change up the camping site to one that is a little more flat.  But for now am going to totally enjoy our last day here and go explore some more. 

Locked In The Fridge - Miracles

I was remembering back many years, in fact I think it was probably about 18+ years ago, Wow!  So because it was so long ago, my memory is probably a bit fuzzy on this one..........

We were living in Abbotsford, BC at the time.  We had just been given an old fridge, you know the kind with the pull handle, where you actually have to pull the handle down to open the door on it.  We figured we would just keep it in the garage as a second fridge, and had only had it for a couple of days.  It was plugged in and nice and cold, but empty.

The kids were all playing out in the yard with half or more of the neighborhood kids, and they were playing

Dano, Kyre and Tal about the time we moved to BC

hide and seek.  I could hear them laughing and what not.  Suddenly I heard Kyre yelling at them, mad as heck that they didn't find her and help her.  She was pretty hysterical so I went out to see what was the problem.  Usually Kyre is the quietest kid ever.  She never got mad and she was always just compliant.

I discovered that Kyre had decided to hide in the fridge, so she climbed in and shut the door behind her, thinking that someone would surely find her in there!  She started to panic shortly because she realized that nobody was going to find her, and she couldn't get the door to open.  Miracles happen daily around us and I have no doubt that we are watched over by angels. 

She remembers that she was scared, but the light stayed on in the fridge - miracle - because the light usually goes out when the door closes!  She couldn't open the fridge, so she said a prayer and then leaned her back against the door and pushed really hard - miracle - she was only five years old and with that type of door, there is just no way that it should have opened without someone opening the latch on the outside. Logan tried to open the door without pulling down on the latch handle and couldn't do it.  There is no way she should have been able to just push that door open from the inside.  Miracle - she is alive today.  I shudder to think what would have happened had that little girl not had the faith to pray and then to do what she thought after. It wouldn't have taken very long for hypothermia, or air to run out.

Logan immediately went and unplugged the fridge and duct taped it shut, and we eventually took it to the dump and never did use that old fridge as a second fridge.

Closing a Chapter

Long day but we got Kyre all packed up and moved off to Lethbridge today!  Good for you Kyre!  It is always a bit of a nerve wracking thing when you move out of home for the first time.  But, yay for Dano, he is only a few minutes away from her, so hopefully they can hang out and watch out for each other.  After all what are big brothers for right?  Haha.

Now we are back at home and wow, is it quiet here.  Tal, Jim and Xander moved into their new house a few weeks ago, Kyre is moved, so we just have four of us at home, with way too much technology that seems to pull us to our separate locations throughout the house, and communication is minimal.  Gonna have to work on changing that up a bit!  

Was thinking back to the very first time Matt moved out, and how painful that was for me.  The circumstances were a bit different, but still he left a void. Such is life when kids go and grow up with your permission!

It's way too quiet here, I am going to have to do more writing and gardening to keep me from going crazy!
You can follow some of my other writing's by checking out this sidebar of my blog lists!

Closed one chapter today, and opening a new one!

Welcome to our Front Porch!

WELCOME TO THE ATWOOD FRONT PORCH!

I started doing some thinking as of late - imagine that!!  I think a lot, it seems my mind never slows down, anyways, Kyre is packing tonight and off to Lethbridge tomorrow to start her new adventures there, Tal and Jim just moved into their new place, Kimball graduates next year, Dano has been gone for over a year in Lethbridge at U of L, Matt now has TWO kids - wow, and Cyera is bringing up the tail end in style! 

I figured it was time to start writing down some of these memories and creating some more.  This space is for our family stories, memories, and happenings.  If you want to follow along in our crazy world, it will no doubt be full of adventure!  Never a dull moment!

Our house has gone from this...........

And they were awesomely fun crazy years!

To this...........in such a short time! And they are heading out!

I so love this quote!

960 Saturdays go by and you don't even realize it!  Wild and crazy times!  I am going to start reliving stories and memories for our own family record keeping.  They will be alive with pictures, videos, and so much more fun. 

I don't want to waste any more Saturdays, or other days for that matter.  Let's make them all count!