Kody earns Eagle Scout

Kody finished his eagle project in August which was an elevated walkway over the wetlands area of a local park. He had his Eagle board of review this month and was approved to be an eagle scout. We will have his board of review January 3.

Kody also recently turned 16 and earned his Duty to God teacher award. He blessed the sacrament in church today for the first time. His first time to bless was last Sunday when Kade and Kody took the sacrament to an elderly lady's home.

June highlights

Dude, Kade, and Kody are spending the week at the high adventure scout camp.

Kade and Kody attended youth conference. They both made new friends (girls, of course.)

Kacie has had a fantastic swim season. She made champ times in backstroke and freestyle and reserve champ times in 100M IM (individual medley, 25 yards each of backstroke, butterfly, breast stroke, and freestyle) and butterfly.

Karen needed more sense, so she got hit with a sledge hammer. Actually she was holding a metal post while Dude pounded it in the ground with the hammer. The hammer head flew off the handle and hit Karen's arm. It didn't break (the arm that is), but it swelled up.

Kade got his driver's license. Watch out world!!

Kade got his first job at Discount Tire's.

Kade's friend Caitlyn got in a serious car accident and was life flighted to the hospital. Caitlyn's best friend, MaKenzie, died at the scene.

May Highlights

Dude and Kody went on the Order of Arrow initiation where you sleep out by yourself with just your sleeping bag, stay silent for 24 hours, and do service. They did this at our BSA Camp Karankawa. Kody's friend Jacob told him he thought he saw an alligator slip into the thicket near Kody during the night. If it's true, thank goodness he wasn't hungry!! Kacie thought Dude would have a hard time with the silent part as much as he likes to talk, but he managed to pass.

Kacie performed with the beginning band in a concert this week. Swim season has started and Kacie got first place in back stroke for girls in her age group yesterday. She also placed first in her heat in butterfly which she says she doesn't like. It is the hardest stroke.

Kade is getting very close to getting his driver's license. I'm getting brave enough to let him drive to church and even let him drive on the freeway last week.

Mother's Day

Dude prepared a splendid meal with salmon, red fish, new potatoes, broccoli, salad (our neighbor brought over), and strawberry lemonade. We had the sister missionaries, Ming Fang, and our next door neighbor, Joyce (not a member but puts up with our mormonism). Joyce brought over a beautiful flower arrangement with bird of paradise that she grows in her back yard. I hope to get a start.
Kade gave me a card with a promise to help me one day in the garden. I said a day was 24 hours so I would keep track of the time. Kody gave me a card with a promise to finish the inside of it later. Kacie gave a talk in sacrament meeting and did a very good job especially since it was her first talk. She gave me a card with a promise to give me a 30 minute massage.
I got my usual Sunday afternoon nap. We watched "Return with Honor" which was rather depressing for the most part. I'm not sure I would recommend this one for your library. On Friday I saw "Facing the Giants" (a Baptist made movie) which is a good one to see, but not one for the library.
I end the day with a hopeful attitude. A few days ago I was ready to send my kids to an apartment to fend for themselves and allow them to come over for Sunday dinners only.

Last Easter Sunday we decided to do a passover dinner. We ate the bitter herbs, the parsley, and the charoset with matzo. We drank four cups of carbonated grape juice to commemorate:

1. sanctification and freedom
2. the deliverance
3. the redemption
4. thanksgiving and hope

We told the story of the passover and followed a script I found on the internet. The kids kept asking, "Why are we doing this?" After explaining several times that Jesus was a Jew and that he participated in the passover on the night of the last summer, I think (hope) they finally got it. There is so much symbolism for Christianity (although I know the Jews don't like it when we see the symbolism.)

Catching Up

Since we are new to blogging, we will backtrack a little. Kacie is now 12 and starting to do some babysitting. Here she is reading a book to the Sears. They are really good kids.

This is Kade's 17th birthday. Dude burned his shirt while lighting the candles on Kade's cake.

This is Kody's favorite sport - shooting at the gun range. You have to wear your scout shirt to get a discount.

Weathering the Storm

We had a huge thunderstorm this weekend and received several inches of rain. Apparently a tornado touched down near our town. The streets were flooded as it rained faster than the water could runoff. Kody took a tube and blew it up and went in the street and paddled around with a shovel. We saw someone go by in their kayak. The rain was as high on our street as it was during Hurricane Ike. Needless to say, we are all safe and suffered no damage.

Pets

Recently on Febuary 22 our pet cat Smockey died. We have no idea what happened to her. She was always hiding but she has always hid from us since we got her. She couldn't have died of old age because we had only had her for a little less than four years. Our other cat Cookie is so sad because she lost her play mate. (by Kacie)