Our Busy Weekend

This weekend we went picnicking in Manti and then on to The Palisade State Park nearby to swim and fish, though we never did get around to fishing. Jarod, Jamie, and Lilli went with us. It was perfect weather and we had so much fun. I really want to go back there again and rent a paddle boat next time. Some highlights of the lake were: Tori diving off the dock without waiting for anyone to catch her and then being suprised and mad that she went under water, Mick falling into the water off the said dock, the kids catching little tiny fish in their hands, some mild sunburns, and getting to see a pet ferrett on a leash.

(This is when Mick fell in)

Then we drove back to Nephi to a friend's house and did this: Cherry Picking

(Mick had just tasted a sour one in this picture)

Once we got home, the kids picked all the stems off and put them in a pan and washed them for me. Mick is such a hard worker. He didn't quit until it was all done. You can see how hard Tori was working..................haha.

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Then the jam and pie filling (though we will use it in dutch oven cobblers instead) making began:

Isn't it beautiful? I love see my jars lined up and finished. The jam turned out really good by the way. I was a little skeptical if it would, never having tasted it before. It tastes very similiar to strawberry without the seeds. My kids approved and if they like it then you know it can't be very bad.

The Library.....our favorite place to go

Mick loves to read. We go to the library about 4 times a week because he reads through the books so fast. He currently loves the Hank The Cowdog chapter book series and anything in the non-fiction section of the kids books. He has read about animals, bugs, sealife, September 11 2001, dinosaurs, bomber jets during WWII, space, Adolf Hitler, volcanoes, earthquakes, our nervous systems, etc. Pretty much any subject you can think of, Mick has read about it. He can tell you what lava is called before it comes up above ground (magma), that it was the Nazis that Hitler commanded, that roly poly bugs are not really bugs at all but a crusteacean, that barnacles have both female and male reproductive organs since they don't move around to mate and can impregnate themselves, that purple pinscher hermit crabs are actually playful pets and like to be held and that they are omnivores. I tell ya, I have learned so much this summer from him. Not to mention received a pretty good backache from lugging all those books back and forth from the library.

When we first got our library cards 3 years ago, they told us that the limit you can check-out is 50 items per family. I remember thinking, wow, we will never need to worry about going over the limit.

Which brings me to yesterday. I went to checkout and was told we had 52 items. I felt a little embarrassed. Anyway, the lady gave us a limit of 75 that they give to families that do home schooling.

I am proud of him and hope that his love of learning will take him far in his life. I am also happy with the fact that although he spends time a lot of time reading, he is still active and plays outdoors and with friends a lot. Mick, you are awesome, don't forget it!

Victoria Learning So Much

Tori learned how to ride her bike sans training wheels last week. Adam pretty much helped her over the curb and driveway and off she went. She was wobbly but she didn't need anyone to hold onto her. She can go so much faster and it's so much easier for her now. We are enjoying going on long bike rides every day. Today we are riding to the shave ice shack. Yum!!

Here is a quick shot of Mick standing on his bike. He is getting so much braver these days.

Tori was enrolled in a community ballet class this summer. It wasn't her favorite thing to do. I am glad we tried a 3 week class before we signed her up with a dance studio or something. I think she would like a faster type dance. Ballet just seemed so slow to her compared to gymnastics.

Chef Mickerbocker

Mick has been learning to cook this summer. I taught him how to make pancakes last week. If anyone notices that the Hall family is getting plumper these days, it's because he makes us each about 10 pancakes each morning. They are tasty, but I don't know how much longer we can keep eating like that. Maybe I better think of something low calorie for him to cook........

Growing, Growing, Growing...

I realized I have not posted any pictures of the whole garden. I am big fan of it and here it is:


Here is a cucumber:

Here is our first baby cuc:
Our baby tomato:

Strawberrys, Radishes, and Carrots:

Carrots:
The Corn Patch:

Zuccichini:
Watermellon:

My strawberry. I went took this picture this morning and this afternoon I went out to eat it and it was gone!!! Cursed Birds.

Here is my super sidekick. He is a great worker. I am so proud of him. He is always willing to help me with any jobs I have, whether it is shoveling snow or planting or working on a business.