Spotlight on Samuel

Samuel has been up to a lot lately. Most importantly, he recieved his Arrow of Light this week at pack meeting. He has been working really hard trying to finish everything up. The last was memorizing the scout oath and law.

I ended up putting a poster of the law behind the toilet in the bathroom. Think. What other place do we have a boy's undivided attention about six times a day? The strategy worked, and he had it memorized and passed off to his scout leader with days to spare!

I also decided to spotlight Samuel and his love of babies. This boy really can't remember any babies in our house since he was only 2 when Enoch was born. Maybe because of that, he tends to show up whenever there is a baby visiting. The most recent baby? his new little cousin, Berdie Lynae Winkler.

He loves to hold them, but doesn't like to ask, so I finally just handed her over to him and never got her back. He held her the rest of the time until her parents wanted to go home. Even Shenna mentioned that she thought he'd make a good daddy someday.

Sweet Sixteen!

It seems like a long time coming to her, but to Aaron and me, it seems impossible that Shenna turned 16 on Sunday.

I decorated her cake with musical notes and she was happy with it. I think she thought it was nice to just relax here at home for her birthday.

A lot of her aunts, uncles and cousins (including Uncle David and Aunt Lynae pictured below) stopped in to wish her a happy birthday. She didn't stay around the whole evening though. Remember that it was her 16th birthday? Well she had her first date that night....lucky girl!

Grandma's Here!

We've added one person to our family. Grandma Hansen has come to stay with us for four months. The kids have been looking forward to this for a very long time, and finally Grandma moved in on Labor Day.

I think she has realized that our household is definitely different than Lynae's or Maralee's. Not better, but different. Hopefully the higher noise level doesn't bother her too much. We always seem to be in a noisy flurry of activity around here.

I think we are all adjusting pretty well. She is the first one the kids greet now when they come home from school. Everyone loves to help take care of her. Sam in particular is always asking her if she needs anything, and he takes her wherever she wants to go.

She even has gone on some of our activities with us. Enoch had a soccer game and she decided to go watch. Enoch loved having his grandma there to support him.

After the game, we stopped in at Lynae's so Grandma could hold her new great-grandson. Grant just slept in her arms. Aren't they cute together?

We love having her here with us and wouldn't trade this time with her for anything!!

Annual Back-To-School Pics

School came upon us before we could even blink, it seems. This year, Shenna starts high school and Kiera moved over to the middle school. Here are our first day pics!

Shenna holding up those ten fingers!

Kiera starting 8th grade at a new school. We had gone around and found her classes, so she knew where to go a few days earlier. No worries!

Seriously???? Samuel is in the 5th grade? 'Tis true. Only one more year in elementary!

Enoch indicating that he is in the 3rd grade....and not wearing a soccer jersey to school on the first day!

Kiera and the Skirt

Kiera made this skirt and entered it in our county fair. She won a blue ribbon.
Good Job!