I found the gold...you all should give it up!

Just in case you are all wondering...the rainbow found its end at our house! We recovered the gold and are shortly going to be leaving for an island that we bought....just kidding. These pictures were taken by a neighbor (Lori Eddins) who noticed this event happening during our rainy season that we have been having. I can't believe how much it has rained. I am one for rainy days and so I haven't minded too much, but I want the sun to come out a little so my garden will grow. By the way, Andy maintains that Lori took these photos so that she could hunt down the gold...maybe she is the one that found it and she feels guilty so she is offering us these pictures...what do you think?

Back when Andy and I lived in the rat trap, we went out and saw a rainbow ending right on top of Blaine and Connie Larsen's house and we thought how ironic that some people get all the luck! Well now maybe our luck is shifting. I'll let you all know!

Actually, just kidding...we are very blessed and we love our home, our town, our family, and feel like we do have the luck of the rainbow's end blessing us. Thanks for taking the photos Lori!

My High School Heroes...

So last week was high school graduation and I spoke at it which was stressful and frustrating but mostly a little sad. There were some really fun kids and ones that I got attached to, but also ones that Peyton really got attached to. They were goofy, spirited, smart, interesting, and kind young men...not ones that you run into very often any more. Each one will hold a special place in my heart because of how they treated Peyton.... Justin always saw Peyton at church and Peyts would try to get him to come into church. One of the cutest memories I have is that when Peyton went out, he told Justin that he needed to come in and when he did Peyton just lit up...Justin has always said hi and treated Peyton special...

Bob also is one of my favorite, favorite kids ever...Just in case anyone wants to know, he was one of the best if not the best football players I've seen at West Jefferson. He also has a scholarship to Western Montana to play football. He is a modern-day Rudy. He has worked so hard for the last three years. I will miss watching him, but I'll also miss teaching him. What a great student to have in class (most of the time!). He was also so nice and sweet to Peyton. I think that every time Peyton went out to the school, he wanted to see Willy, Bob and Justin. They would just make him feel like the cat's meow. Bob is also Peyton's cousin and he is a good babysitter when I've needed him for a second or two at the high school. I really will miss that kid....He told Peyton to hold up a number 1 finger and that is what I will remember most about Spencer is how he does strive for excellence in all that he does...through hard work and dedication. I hope Peyton will try to be like that when he is older...maybe just more with school work! :-)
Finally Willy who is probably one of the most amazing young men I've had the opportunity to teach. He may not be your straight A student, but this kids knows how to work...and yes he did get an A from me this last trimester because he worked his tail off. This kid has his priorities in line and will be serving a mission soon. He told Peyton in Wendy's after a football game to "Listen to his mom and eat his food!". Even though Peyton has never done this since, he still remembers what Willy said and he is always lifting our table and trying to be as tough as Willy and Bob. They were so kind and were great role models and examples for Peyts. I will miss them next year because there just doesn't seem to be kids who will fill that spot for Peyts...but I know they will always keep in touch and still be very important to Peyton....

At graduation, Peyton even decided he wants to be smart like these boys. It was nice of them to let him feel that way!

What a great group of kids!

It has been a while.....thoughts on summer, skunk traps, slivers, sounds of music and sunsets

Can I just say, I love summer. I feel like I've been running a school marthon and of course I finished last, -last one to turn in grades, last one to leave building, last one to start my vacation-but I finished. It has been a great year, but a busy and hectic one. I can't decide why I felt like a first year teacher again and was SOOOOO busy planning and grading, but it just seemed like it would never stop. I finally got outside last night and did some weeding in my perennials which are looking so beautiful and in my strawberries and it finally felt like summer. No worries, no cares, and today I slept in until...hold onto your socks...9:00 a.m. I never thought that I would think that sleeping in until 9:00 would be like heaven, but it was. I don't plan on making a practice of that because I have a lot of goals this summer, but it is sure nice....to actually feel like you don't have any responsibilities.
So lately, I've been trying to capture some of the funny, ingenious, and unique things my little boy does and I've been pretty successful in my quest. I've caught him just recently being very creative outside. We both feel like new people now that we can get outside. He was making something with all of these junk parts he found on the abandoned land next door to us. It was quite the set up as you will see and so I filmed him explaining his skunk trap. For some funny reason he is deathly afraid of skunks...we aren't sure, but if he gets a wiff of their scent or thinks there might be skunks, he kind of panics. I believe it is because of me...I do not like them either and I am deathly afraid of getting sprayed...I guess because I've actually had four or five close calls, but they are pretty funny stories now...well anyways, he devised a skunk trap...(we actually caught a skunk in a trap at our house because it kept coming and eating our cat food...a couple of times it about got Andy! It also sprayed in our garage once and we had a hard time sleeping for a couple of days, but not too bad.) So this is the skunk trap.

I also caught Peyton making some repairs on our deck. It was pretty funny...I'm glad I remembered when I got in trouble for using a roll of tape to make a tape ball. I remembered that and thus did not get mad at my industrious child and his explanation of what he did was that now we would get slivers when we touched those poles on our deck. I thought it was pretty clever of him.
(sorry anyone know how to switch the angle?)

He also decided since his mother won't buy him drums that he'll make up his own. He really does crack us up sometimes with what he comes up with. This was pretty clever...he uses chineechopsticks...or our chopsticks as his drum sticks and various buckets around the house and created his own drum set. Let's just say it was much more pleasant that an actual set of drums.

And finally the other night after a rainstorm we caught a beautiful sunset. I didn't really capture the beauty, but I sure love the sunsets that happen right out my window. I love living in this place. It sure is beautiful and peaceful and I look forward to a summer full of peace and relaxation with the only thing being hard is my yardwork. Happy summer....and look forward to a little more constant blogging...I'm excited about that too!