Fawson Family

The kids stayed at Grandmothers for the New Year’s Eve party. The adults were at Kristin and Kenny’s house. Mary was with me too and that was fun. I sent balloons and party poppers with the kids. The adult played “Tenzi” which is a game Melanie gave me for Christmas. We also played a game of “Clue” the card game and I played “Skipbo” with Mary. After we went home Brad and I watched the wolverine movie.

We started the day at about 11:00 because we all stayed up so long. Then we tidied the house and Joseph and Izabelle practiced piano. Brad and Joseph went to play basketball with a family group. Izabelle spent the whole afternoon with Sami Kydd. Seth, Alisa and I went and bought some school clothes. Then we got some frozen yogurt at yogurt land. After that we went to Pet’smart to look at the animals. By then brad was done playing ball so we met up with them at Kristin’s.

We came home and switched done beds around. Alisa is not using her crib anymore. It has been in the toddler mode.
As a family we talked about some goals to do better at keeping up with our responsibilities and not watching to much tv. We also have a goal to read scriptures in the morning at 6:30. Wake up at 6:00.

Happy new year! 2014

Monday, July 8th Brad and I went to Marry Poppins the Tuachan play. I loved it. It was fun to hear some old favorites and a few new songs as well. “Anything can happen if you let it.” Brad gave me Season ticket for my Christmas present.
Mary was with the children. They watched Jack the Giant Slayer. She made Carmel popcorn too.

Tuesday I had a primary presidency meeting at 9:30. Came home and did some laundry then off to the pool. Mary came and Christopher Taterian is in town for the week. At 7 Joseph had a court of honor while brad was at a young men activity. It was the last stake organized meeting for 11 year old scouts. Sis Orchard did a cute presentation on how to keep things “popping” in scouting in our wards.

Wednesday I went running with mary from 7:30 to 8:30. We walked most of the time, but it felt good to get out and get moving.

I organized a story time for the primary children at 11:00 in the Primary room. We had a great turn out.

Yesterday we went to Kylar Jared Campbell’s blessing. Kristin hosted a family dinner. Lots of good food and friends.

Hooray!! No school today. Izabelle had a sleepover at the Poulsens. This morning we Picked her up so we can go on a hike. There was a big group of us. We went to Rachelle’s house and hiked behind her house. We saw some petroglyphs and some beautiful mountains. When we got home Izabelle spent some time with Miriam Hall.

Costco pizza dinner. Brad priced kyacks for the scouts. He came home Saturday night from a campout with the scouts at a hot springs near Vegas. He the brought back 5 kyacks and a canoe. They want to use them on their 50 miler at lake Powell.

Joseph got to go on his first Campout with the Boy Scouts. He won’t be a real Boy Scout for another year in April, but since his dad a leader, he got to go.

We went to some hot springs below the Hoover dam near Las Vegas. We got there at dusk on Friday night and hiked down the canyon with our packs by the light of the half moon. The boys were real troopers and used team work to get there packs down some pretty steep canyons. We camped near one of the many hot springs in the canyon.

The next morning we hiked further down the canyon and made it to the river below the dam. We had a great view of the new bridge that was put in over the canyon. It was awesome. Some of the boys jumped in the super cold river water.

The hike out required a lot of team work and a lot of will power to keep on going up the trail. The idea of getting ice cream when we got back was a good motivator for the scouts.

I took Alisa to the Library for story time today. It was her second time going. They had a Birthday theme today. I told Alisa Dads birthday is this Saturday and she gave a jubilant cheer of Hoooray!

I invited Mary over for dinner and it was fun to hear about her trip to Vegas for the Caper hair show. It was a positive experience for her. She has really applied herself to her education. It makes me happy to see her enjoying it.

We had Molé for dinner because Joseph’s request. He created the menu for the week to pass off a requirement for his Fitness badge.

Izabelle finished reading “Because of Winn Dixie” last night. Tonight she started her book report. This morning she told me that a boy in her class told some friends that he wants to Marry Izabelle. I just said that’s wierd because your in 3rd grade. She laughed about it with me.

Seth got to go to Brad’s basketball game tonight. He made a basket after Dad’s team won the game.

Wow, a lot has happened in the past several months.I would say the most exciting thing that happened was on Halloween day. That morning we had a new arrival join our family. Alisa Joy Fawson was born in our home at 7:58 am. It was a wonderful experience. Sheri was awesome. Grandma and Grandpa Shaw had come a couple of weeks prior to the delivery anticipating every day that Alisa would be joining us. It was wonderful having them here.

We had a lot of support from them along with several people in our ward. We appreciate all who helped us get along in the first couple weeks after the delivery. Though we were excited to have Alisa come as soon as possible, we were glad that we could have Grandma and Grandpa here to help pass the time. In fact, Sheri made a huge list of things they were able to help us accomplish while they were here. That is an entry in and of itself. Thanks again Grandma and Grandpa Shaw.

Alisa has been such a joy to have around. She loves to smile at anyone who will smile back at her. She can go on for a long time entertaining crowds with her interactive spirit and adorable baby sounds. It is fun to interact with her and see some of her expressions. She can go from a sad expression to a happy one in a blink of an eye.

Seth loves having a baby sister. He particularly loves to put his face right in front of her with a big smile on his face and say, “I love you Alisa”. Seth is such a high energy boy that Alisa usually has a confused look on her face, which very likely says, somebody save me from this blurry mass of energy that loves me a bit too much right now.

Izabelle has become the most helpful little girl that loves everything to do with her baby sister. She will hold Alisa for hours while she does everything from her homework to cleaning her room. She likes to do it with her baby sister in her midst. She has even learned to change her diaper. She is her moms greatest helper. Izabelle loves school and is a great friend to all of her classmates. Her best friends are her brothers, her sister and her mom and dad.

Joseph has been a wonderful boy that is getting pretty good at the violin. His two fabulous teachers (his grandpa and his dad) meet with him 4 days a week before school in a class of about 15 students. He is doing great in school and his favorite homework is to read, sometimes so much it is at the expense of being able to get the rest of his homework done. He has also been saving up for a new bike for about six months. He recently cashed in on a blue and silver bmx bike. That was fun to go with him when he picked it out and bought his first big ticket item in life that even came with an owners manual.

It is a pleasure being parents to such wonderful children. Life is busy and crazy at times, but it couldn’t be any more fun than it is with four wonderful children.

Today I made 11 quarts of Peach-Strwaberry Jam. Timandra gave me the recipe on Sunday, so I tried it out. I have used almost all my peaches now. I also dried apples today and filled one gallon size freezer bag. I am 33 weeks along with just 7 more to go and then our baby will arrive!

Saturday was all about peaches. I pealed and sliced peaches and layed them on a cookie sheet with plastic wrap under them and put them in the freezer so they would not all be stuck together. After freezing them I put them in 3 gallon size freezer bags. I filled two dryers full of peaches. Then I bottled 7 quarts, and also made some peach freezer jam. Izabelle helped me peal peaches. She was a great help and good company. While I was working on peaches Brad fixed bikes for the kids. they each have a working bike now. then Brad and I went to the adult session of stake conference. It was spiritually uplifting, but difficult to sit so long.

After the first month of school. The kids had an assembly. Joseph and Izabelle were both given an award in there classes. They were both awarded the “Super Scholar” award. It is an award where the teacher of each class chooses an individual in there class that has put forth extra effort to excel. We were told at they would be getting the award and were invited to the assembly. The kids did not know that they were going to get the award themselves. It was fun to see there excitement as they were called up to the front and given their awards by their teachers.

Izabelle had a permagrin showing off her beautiful smile while Mrs. Spainhower explained why she chose Izabelle for this award. Joseph had a look of surprise that he got the award too as Mr. Reep expounded on how diligent and great a reader Joseph is. Sheri and I both think our kids are exceptional, but it is fun to here how others think so too.

It is good to have them both back in school now. They love to go each day. I have been going early with Joseph each morning teaching violin lessons with my dad to a group of about 15 beginners and 6 in our intermediate class. It is fun to see the kids progress at it.

We started school on Aug.11th.  Izabelle and Joseph are loving it.  Josephs new teacher doesn’t give much homework so that has been a nice change from last year.  He has to read each day and so he just spends extra time reading.  He is required to read 20 min., and so far he reads for about an hour a day. Izabelle is enjoying her new friends and I hear about Isabelle and Victoria all the time.  Isn’t it odd that there is another Izabelle in her class.  Her teacher calls her Belle to keep them straight.  I call her Belle most of the time too.

We just finished reading James and the Giant Peach!  One of our favorite parts was when the centipede got covered with purple rainbow paint.

Yesterday Joseph and Izabelle lost a tooth.  I pulled Joseph’s out during primary because it was hanging out of his mouth and I was tired of watching him play with it.  It was so ready that it didn’t bleed.  I probably shouldn’t have done it at church, but in this case it worked out fine.  Both of Izabelle’s front two teeth have been loose for a while so when Joseph’s came out she was determined to have one out too and she pulled it out herself.  I even caught it on video.

Later that evening we met Grandpa at his clinic and he froze off some warts on Joseph’s hand.  Joseph was brave.  When he woke up he had a huge blister and he thought it was a huge wart that had grown back over night.  He came to tell us this morning to tell us that the good news was the toothfairy came and the bad news was that his wart was back.  (No bad news after all.)

Brad and his Dad will be teaching violin lessons at the elementary school starting in September.  Joseph is going to start too.  It will be 7:30 to 8:30. I will miss having them around in the mornings.