My kids, and all the neighborhood kids, fought over this poor frog for over an hour.
Don't let Nolan's cuteness fool you. He promptly got out of the pool, walked over to the stone wall in the backyard which backs up to a pond, and throws the frog as hard and as high as he could over the wall. 
bEN IN mRS. sETFoRD's 4tH gRAdE CLaSS
nOLAN IN mRS. dEmOSS' 1sT gRAdE CLaSS
nOALN & mATTHEW bIG 1st gRAdERS!
bEN IN 4TH gRADE....yIKES.
aNNIE, bAYLIE & dELANEY. tHE cUTiE 7TH gRAdERS
I hate that there isn't enough time - not enough hours in the day, weeks in the year, years in my life - to spend with these amazing little beings who I have the privilege of parenting. I love to watch them grow, but I hate how quickly the time passes and how these incredible days of their youth are going to be gone before I know it. For all the frustrations I have as a parent, the thing I hate the most is that there will never be enough time to love them.
With the last week of summer before the kids went back to school we visited the DFW Zoo with our neighbors the Stoltenberg's.
Ben participated in the Northern Texas PGA Ewing Automotive Junior Tour in Dallas. Since Chris was out of town, I had the privilege of being Ben's caddie. (sorry Ben!) With that fact, he pretty much golfed solo! Plus, the heat index was 111. YIKES! It was a fun day with just Ben & I, that hasn't happened much lately, so I enjoyed our hot day together! He took the bronze medal home...3rd place- yee haw!
Baylie, Maddie King, John Luke Miller, Ben & Nolan. We went to the Galleria in Dallas to ice-skate. Tons of fun!
This is how Texan's ice-skate...inside.
We learned how the pioneers made rope.
Baylie and Chris checking out the weaving machine.
This was at the Webb Blacksmith shop. We learned how horseshoes & wagon wheels were made. This was the blacksmith who made us all a 'prairie diamond' ring to take home. (a nail bent into a ring)
Nathan, Jill, Dalon & Claire
Touring some of the homes.
Baylie outside the Nauvoo temple, restored in 2002
A picnic lunch
The Oxen
Goofy
Baylie & Brooke
All 4 all 2gether for 1ce!
Aunt Jill & Dalon
Christian & Brooke
Wow...Brooke is done with HS! We celebrated her HS graduation at an Italian restaurant with Nathan & Jill and all the kids. We weren't able to fly up for her graduation party in June. Here is the BIG question of what college and how we are planning to pay for college. The answer: we are not paying for any of our kids college...they are on their own. I know, I know, in some circles, this admission is just like saying I lock my kids in the closet as a form of discipline or let them eat nothing but chocolate cake for breakfast most days: not technically abuse, but a sure sign that we are not capable of meeting their needs. These days, any self-respecting mom knows that part of her job includes providing the means necessary for, at the very least, a 4 year degree at the best institution to which her child is able to gain admission, plus the cost of room, board and books (and let's face it, beer.)
I have even heard parents argue passionately against requiring college-going kids to hold part time jobs to help defray costs, because 20 hours a week spent slinging pasta in my case or answering phones might prevent young scholars from being able to "fully immerse" themselves in the college experience.
blah, blah, blah
It is not that I am anti-college. I think higher education is great, especially when the student is motivated to succeed (which I personally was not until I was in my 20's- after I wasted gobs of money). I'd LOVE it if each of my kids finishes school, whether pursuing a specific career goal or simply for the love of learning. I am not on board with the whole idea of making the transition to "real life" so easy on young folk. It's like we've come to expect that young adults shouldn't have to struggle. What about the time-honored tradition of sitting on milk crates, eating crappy food and checking out movies from the library for entertainment? Isn't that struggle in itself valuable to growth?
I want my kids to learn to be self-sufficient and responsible. I want them to find a career that both puts food on the table and feeds their souls. I want them to be loving, kind, generous, compassionate, and down-to-earth. I believe they can get there whether they have a Ph.D or a GED; whether they have a student loan or zero debt; whether they work with their hands or pursue academia. How they get there is up to them. I believe my kids are bright, creative, and resourceful enough to figure it out. In their adult lives my kids will struggle. They will fail. They will also succeed! I will love them & encourage them when they do either.
But we are keeping our money. We earned it. How to earn theirs? Well that's up to them.
(don't worry kiddos...after dad read this he said he'd match dollar for dollar on what you save)
The Guys- Nathan, Chris, Sean Jr, Eric, Sean Sr.
Nathan & Jill's house is on a lake that connects with another lake through a channel. Through the channel it is a "no wake zone", this creates the perfect speed to leave the passengers of other boaters prime targets for water balloons, super soaker water guns and just buckets full of water. (that is until Sean threw an entire bucket full of water along WITH the bucket onto another boat) All the kids had a blast! It was the ultimate water fight.
Jill, DeeAnn & Suzanna Chock
Nathan, Eric Chock & Sean
Sweet girls! Claire and Bay
Baylie jumping off the rope swing.
The "Flip Club" - Chris, Sean Jr, and Eric
Nathan's attempted flip.
Sean Jr's belly flop
Ben on the rope swing.
Nolan jumping off the rope swing.Before you watch this video, scroll to the bottom and pause/mute the back round music. This is Chris' first time he successfully executed a full flip. Watch Sean Jr's victory dance and listen to Sean Sr! Chris is now an official member of the "flip club", an exclusive 3 member party.
Nolan jumping off the rope swing.
