Wow Summers almost gone!

Well its been a quick summer. School got out and we finished up Kate's softball season. They did pretty well but not as good as in the past but it was a crazy year with so much rain that they missed a lot of games or practices. I guess they are starting a fall league so it will start again pretty soon. So she will have that and Volleyball to keep her busy. Ben has decided to not play football this year and I was surprised but not unhappy...sorry not my favorite sport to watch. I got to go spend the week a camp with Kate. Usually I only get to go the last night but this year since I'm not in Young Womens any more they asked me to go and do the first year certification. It was so fun and I loved being around all the Young Women again. It was a busy week and I didn't see Kate much as she was a second year. Michelle's cabin was just behind mine so I saw her more. She even helped me teach the archery class...good thing since I've never done archery! I learned a lot and met new friends. I hope they ask me back next year but am preparing not to go as I was just filling in for the lady who usually goes while she was in Egypt. Arika, Kisiah and Rebekah went to Roseburg to spend the week with Grandma and Papa Hedrick and had a ball. Ben stayed and worked with Bart. He also did all the cooking while I was away. He is a great cook and they ate well. Bart has been staying busy and that is such a blessing for us. Arika had her 8th birthday and was baptized. That was so fun as family and friends joined us to celebrate. She was baptized in the dress I made Kate for her baptism but had her own white dress to wear after. Kind of fun and I hope I can keep it white and safe for the other two to wear too. But that is a long time to wait so we will see. I am busy with the Relief Society activities an groups. We helped start a community garden. We planted over a hundred tomato plants, four rows of green beans, six rows of potatoes, four of corn, at least four of different types of peppers, we also have cauliflower, broccoli, carrots, lettuce, cucumbers, cantalope and some spices. It is a big garden and the food goes to the meals on wheels and food bank. It has been fun learning other ways to garden. The goal is to have it a totally organic garden. I also have my own garden at home. I have had to plant that one a few times. It is going slow but we did eat some peppers and radishes out of it.
Saw the Lilya family reunion info and so wish we could come. That is the same week as Ben's scout camp. He is so excited to go and has been packed for a few days already. BOY TIME! He has been going to all the church dances. I think there are three a month with all the stakes that are involved in them. Mike drives them around and we are very thankful that we just have to wait up for them to come home. Each week on Wednesday we go to the free movie and then hit the free lunch and then do something for Personal Progress. It has been fun. We are trying to help one of Kate's friends to get hers done...then Kate could get her Bee charm! I took Ben, Kate and Arika to get their eyes checked and they all ended up getting glasses! Ben's are for reading only, Arika and Kate are for all the time. They look great but already Arika's got broken. Rebekah got a hold of them and bent them. Hopefully we can get them fixed this week. I cut Rebekah's bangs one day and she kept telling me she did not like them and that she didn't want bangs anymore. Later that day I found her with the scissors and she had cut them off! She has to stay that way as the only way to fix it would be to do a butch cut. That isn't going to happen. The checker at the store went on and on when she saw her about how much she looked like a princess. I just knew when we got home she would go and do more! I decided one day while Bart was at work and Ben was home that we would rip out the kitchen floor and get it ready for him to put down the flooring that didn't get done since he cut off his thumb. Ben was game so we started. After and hour I was ready to give up. It was way harder than I thought. I have seen Bart do it a million times and he makes it look so easy. Not so...I sure am a wimp. Ben kept at it and when Bart got home he took over with the right tools and had it out soon. The next day he put the new flooring in. I love it and it changed the look of everything. I just felt bad as it was the hottest it has been and out air conditioning is not working. I tried to talk him in to waiting till it got cooler but he had the time to do it then so he did. Now he wants to paint the cabinets. He also updated the master bathroom with some supplies he got free while I was away at camp. He put in a new cabinet top, tile back splash, new sink and new hardware on the cabinet. It looks amazing. So peaceful. We have been working in our yard in all our free moments and trying to get it tamed again. I get the front yard done and start on the back but then it is almost time to start the front again! The kids are helping this year so it is going better. I sure have good kids. Well I guess that catches us up for now. Hopefully I can do better to blog so that I'm not just summing up months at a time! Thanks for sticking with me!