Book Club With Myself!

Okay I am starting a book club with myself. I have to admit reading is something I enjoy but I don't crave and I sort of hate sitting still to read but I decided there are just too many books piling up on my list of must reads that I need to make it a bigger priority. I thought about starting a book club but honestly I hate reading books I don't want to read so.... I am going to be super lame and do my own - I know how anti-social of me. Every month I will set out to read a book and then I will post a review on my blog. The first book is a book given to me by the author herself. I am almost done with it. i have enjoy it and a really quick easy read. The next I think will be a book my mom bought me about parenting kids with ADHD and ADD. Need more advice in that department and it has awesome reviews. So There that is my goal until I get through my stack of books...I have few near death experiences I want to read, then there is a book about Tucson family history that my father-in-law is currently reading that I would love to read through too, and then a book my girlfriend recommended called Queen Bee's and Wannabees which sounds like a good examination of girl's relationships during the school years  which I hope will help me parent Angeli and Genevi in their school years because I think I need some training in that department!....I hope I make some progress on my list!

Fun Things to do While we Live in Tucson

So I've been realizing how hard it is to get family fun in with all the school, church, and work stuff we have going on so I wanted to make a list of some of the possible of things I want to do while we live here in Tucson and maybe just maybe we'll be able to fit most of it in.

The Biosphere - How cool would that be to go to the world famous biosphere!  http://www.b2science.org/

AZ Science Center - Sounds really fun and educational! http://azscience.org/

Renaissance Festival - Ha ha! Let the inner nerd out! looks fabulous. Held in February - March. http://www.royalfaires.com/arizona/

State Parks - Okay this is my all time favorite thing to do....be out in nature! There are so many great hikes and camping trips we could do! Love to dream about!  AZStateParks.com

Grand Canyon - I want to wait until the kids are grown up enough that its not the most frightening thing ever to have them near giant cliffs but we must do this! The kids get a fall break and so I am already planning our trips we'll be doing on our next 4 fall breaks...the best time of year for a vacation without huge crowds at places like Disneyland, sea world, and yes the grand canyon! http://www.thecanyon.com/

Rocky Point Mexico - I  have heard great things about this beach town in Mexico. A lot of families in our ward who own vacations homes there and I want to go! I am excited because there is a volcano-ish thing close by where you can see real lava! Oh, my gosh how cool would that be for the kids to see! Sometimes the families in our ward give good deals at renting their houses out. Yes please! RockyPointMexico

Children's' Museum of Tucson- I am excited to check this out. i have some free passes and I think if we love it we'll have to buy a family pass for the year. http://www.childrensmuseumtucson.org/

Broadway in Tucson - I've only been to one real Broadway show and I'd love to go more. This year they have some shows I'd be excited to see. I'd love to take the kids to see stomp or the Blue Man group...I know too expensive but woudl 'd they love that!?!?! http://www.broadwayintucson.com/

Santa Crus County Fair - This is a maybe. But a country fair sounds so fun runs through September. sonoitafairgrounds.com

Sea Life Arizona - This sounds really fun to me...I'd rather go to San Diego just a 4-5 hour drive away but this way we wouldn't have a huge admission ticket and a hotel too. visitsealife.com/Arizona

Tolmachoff Farms - sounds like a great visitor farm where you can pick your own produce, go to the petting Zoo, have tours, and buy homemade treats. Their Pumpkin days, and watermelon days sound really fun. tolmachoff-farms.com

Tucson Botanical Gardens and "Butterfly Magic" - I think my kids would really enjoy the butterflies and I really love plants! They even have a rain forest section. How fun.  http://www.tucsonbotanical.org/

Tucson Zoo- Yay! I finally live by a zoo! I don't think its out of this world but I think it will be nice enough and I am really excited to take the kids we were going to go today but my girl friend has to cancel and I am actually feeling pretty sick so another time...but I am excited to go someday! http://www.tucsonzoo.org/

Davis-Monthan Air Force Base - They have a grave yard of retired planes that I hear is pretty cool for little people and grown up people too  to check out. I think that would be a fun afternoon activity one of these days. 

Wild West - Being in the heart of the WILD WEST they have an abundance of railroad towns, gold mining, and horse tours and such that I think the family would enjoy even if its not my favorite thing to do...boys love theri train rides! I need to research which ones are the best to go to.

Family History - I sort of want to spend several Family Home Evenings going to historical sights that have family history significance to us since Stewart was named after his great grandfather who helped settle Tucson and was a very prominent figure here. Some ward members have told me about some great places to check out (brandi fenton park) so I need to plan it all out and have some fun trips and story telling with the kids.

New blog

Hey you all! I am starting a new blog and maybe I'll be retiring this one. Blogging is a dying obsession of my mothering generation but I am still an avid fan so I will probably keep it up forever. But I felt I wanted a fresh start. Honestly, I am not sure if anyone ever reads this blog besides my dear mother and father and myself but if for nothing else its worth it to me so if you do actually read this and you want to follow me on my new blog I will post it's new address as soon as I get the pictures I want for it taken and all edited so they can be posted. I warn you its going to be churchy, but its sincerely me and my heart. Its what I want people to k now about me if nothing else, and most importantly what I want my children to know about their mother's heart. So there that's it. I just wanted to announce that. I am excited about it. Churchy blogging here I come. ;) 

Starting School

The school year started so soon this year, the 2nd of August! I could hardly believe that I'd have half of my kids going off to school all day long. I was excited and a little nervous to be getting established into a new school and I knew the kids were feeling the same way. The school the kids are in is rated as an A+ school and I have been so impressed with the teachers and staff there. They are so kind, smart, helpful, and organized. I am so grateful to be in the situation we are in here in Tucson we really have been placed in the best place for our family. It will; be great to watch us grow into it more and more.

The day before school started they had a "meet the teacher day" where we found out who the kids teachers were and got to tour the classrooms, and fill out lots of paper work of course.  I feel like both Angeli and Bridger were blessed with getting the best teachers for them. I signed up to work as one of the room moms  for each class which I am excited about. I hope its not too much but I am really looking forward to getting to know their teachers and to get to help in the class and the planning. I love my planning. ;O)

The next day was the start of school and it was a bit surreal. I didn't feel too ready ...like little silly things for example, I wasn't sure what they should wear or anything like that, which usually I'd like to have that all planned out but whatever! They got to pick it out themselves out of what was clean. :O) We live so close to their school that it really doesn't make sense to do anything other then walk to school so every morning and afternoon that's what we are doing, walking in the blistering heat to and from school. :O) - its hot at 2:40pm!

When they came home and we asked them how it went Angeli declared that she loves "everything" about school and Bridger said he loves "nothing" about school. He thinks its so boring and she thinks everything is so fun. :O) The difference between boys and girls I guess! I hope they can make friends. They were sad they cant eat together at lunch or play together at recess but I think it is good for them to branch out and make friends of their own. I am so proud of them for doing hard things. For Angeli overcoming her anxiety of new scary things is such a huge thing and Bridger its all about getting over the hard work of school. :O) I tell them daily "you can do hard things!". So anyways, we were late for the first day!!!! So the only pictures I got were on our way to school. I miscalculated how much time it would take to get everyone out the door, get the "littles" in the stroller, all of us off and walking....plus the campus was so crowded it was a bit crazy. So these are the only pictures I got. Bummer, but heck they are so cute  who needs fifty pictures anyways! ;) I love them!

I sure missed them that first day. The house was so quiet! I know things will pick up really quickly here soon so I am going to try and take advantage of every "quiet" moments I get!