Our Family History

In Our Family This Week... The weeks just fly by so quickly that I don't even know how I get the things done that I need to - let alone, WANT to! We've had to make some changes in the dynamics of "friends" this week... The little neighbor girl, Kia, has been playing on and off with the girls for close to a year and half but it had become more and more prominent the past couple of months.  When I say prominent - I mean as in 6-7 hours A DAY that she would be over here. She is quite mean and physically aggressive with the girls and disrespectful.  I don't know why I continued to even let her come over but I always felt bad for her and her home-life situation that after periods of "no Kia" we would begin letting her and the girls play again. Recently I started to notice that the girls started becoming very mean and aggressive with each other and hitting (which has NEVER happened)... and so after discussing it with John and praying about it - we have had to implement a serious "No Kia" rule. It has been hard since she still comes over (sometimes multiple) times a day asking to play and apologizing and promising to be kind but we've stuck with our decision and I feel so much relief from it!  This week has been sooo peaceful! the girls didn't fight or be unkind to each other - it was marvelous! Things that took place this week (that kept up busy...) was I had a Photo shoot, worked on wedding photos all week (almost done!), prepared for conference, worked on my YW lesson for next Sunday, Mutual, 3 Football Games, Football practices each day for all 3 older boys, I completed all of my Visiting Teaching for the month, went and helped a lady in our ward do housework (she just had a baby), took the kids to the park, went to my OA meeting, watched all 4 sessions of conference, got the house cleaned, all the laundry done, morning breakfasts together, FHE, family scriptures and prayer each day, watched the Presidential debates and discussed it with the boys, Pack Meeting with Ben, grocery shopping, 5 mornings at the gym, library visits, hosted John and "the guys" to watch the BSU game after Priesthood session and preparing next weeks lesson plans!  Phew! What a week (and I'm sure that's not even all of it! LOL!  But... it has ended on a sweet, spiritual note with Conference!  I absolutely loved it!  I loved so many of the messages and have been inspired greatly!

In Our Homeschool This Week... I think we're getting down our groove! Things are falling into a good routine and everyone is beginning to know what is expected of them - I love it!! I've really felt that I need to be very diligent in teaching the letter sounds to Nathan and do a "Letter of the Week" with him.  So this week was the letter "M"... we did all sorts of activities with the letter M and read LOTS of books with the letter M and played lots of games with the sound of M and I think he's got that down!  Of course, I'll need to continue reinforcing that sound as we introduce others but we were both really happy that that he is feeling confident with the sound of M!  This week we're onto the Letter T. We also introduced the Vogt Family Gentleness Quilt. All of the kids decorated 4x4 inch squares of cardstock that they get to put up on the "Quilt" every time I catch them being "gentle" and kind.  We memorized Proverbs 15:1 and have been reciting it each morning along with singing the hymn - Let Us Oft Speak Kind Words.  We'll continue singing that song until we all have it memorized.  This week we'll be continuing this "theme" and talking about being Patient with each other. Seth really delved into his German this week!  I've decided to learn it with him, so we've been "chatting" with each other and asking questions (we learned 7 question words this week) and have been working on using them in a real world situation. He has also gone around and labeled things all over the house with their German vocab :)  August volunteered (for Scouts) in the library this week and the girls were able to attend the Story and Craft time this week. I realized Ben needed some more structured learning (after talking with him and praying) and so now he has a table set up in the "music room" and he has a visual print out of all the work that is required for the day and a place for him to check it off as he goes along. He doesn't like doing any "formal" handwriting (but he NEEDS it!) and so I got 2 notebooks - one for a story that he and I take turns writing in and pass it back and forth each day and one for "Mom Notes" for he and I to pass between us.  This has gotten him really excited to actually WRITE!  After he passes me something, we'll briefly go over it and talk about what looks great about it (and what might need to be paid more attention to, etc...) and then I can model correct paragraph structures and grammar in my messages back to him and in my part of the story. We also came up with "Mom Bucks" where he can earn 1 Mom Buck each day for completing all of his schoolwork WITH  a great attitude!  After he earns 5 Mom Bucks, he can trade them in for a special lunch that I'll make him.

Nathan and Ben decorating some of the Gentleness  Squares

August working on the Gentleness Quilt Patches

Even Mom got in on the action of decorating the Gentleness Quilt Patches

The Gentleness Quilt after a couple of days - the plan it to fill the entire board!

I'm Grateful For... The peace that we've been able to have in our home this week AND for all of the inspiring messages from GENERAL CONFERENCE!! There are so many thoughts that I want to write down and so I think I'll actually just do a separate blog post soon for that. I also was able to receive quite a bit of personal insight and inspiration for so many aspects of my life!  I truly feel so uplifted and inspired to become who Heavenly Father desires me to be!

My Favorite Thing This Week... Since I already talked about Conference (which was also my Favorite Thing this week!) I thought I'd share some favorite {overheard} conversations from the girls...
(the girls were being very giggly one afternoon while I was working the wedding photos and so I stopped to listen...)
Aubrie: What if all the boys curled their bangs!?
Lexi:  Oooooooohhhh!!  hahahahahha
Aubrie: What if all the pumpkins wore glitter dresses?!
Lexi:  Ooooooooohhhhh!!  hahahahha
Lexi: let's go in the backyard for me to tell you  my joke...
and they both ran off giggling!  It was the cutest thing ever!  I have no idea what "joke" Lexi told, but I'm sure it was cute!

My Goals For the Week...  Finish off the wedding photos and get it sent out. Start editing the next Family session. Pray to see where Heavenly Father needs me this week. Increase my running a bit. Take time to really ENJOY  this week with the kids! Get all of the laminated cards cut out and ready to be used :)

Photos I love from the week...

Dad and Nathan washing the burb Saturday afternoon between conference sessions

Handsome August all ready for his football game - even complete with a hug from Lexi!