A Plethora of Fields........

After looking through my pictures I realized that maybe I'm a little too hard on myself about making sure my children get a "good education". What do you think? We have had studies in various fields, just to name a few:

Field: Reading

Next Field: Physical Education

Next Field: Mentoring- refers to a developmental relationship between a more experienced

mentor and a less experienced partner.

Next Field: Construction

Now this requires a little explanation: What you see before you used to be a screen tent that Grandpa couldn't put together. (I guess he was never taught to read or speak Chinese. Aw Oh, that's something else I haven't gotten to!) My children noticed all the butterflies and grasshoppers around and they needed a net.......Need I say more!

We learned about assembly line production. Grandpa bent the metal, Dad strung the nets on the ring, Aunt Jeneil sewed the nets up and the kids........

Well they were the testers, of course! After a little modification on the length of the handles they were off and catching!

So now we move onto the field of Entomology. This is Jax's speciality. He can tell you almost anything about any kind of bug you can imagine. Let's see how they did:

Oops, dad is confused! That's not a bug! He doesn't meet the qualifications! If Jax were here he could tell me what they were, and I could write them for you. But, be assured, you would be able to tell that what is in that net is not a BUG!

Way to go Jax! Now that's a bug! Or is it? I think a butterfly is a bug! Ahhh, where is Jax!

Next Field: Animal Husbandry and Bird watching!

Grandpa Boyd is the proud owner of 7 or 8 calves that are motherless and they need to be fed quite regularly. So he has employed the help of my kids. It has been a great and enjoyable experience for them. But, one morning after walking home from studying the field of Animal Husbandry; raising and caring for livestock, my children entered the field of Bird watching! Here they found three of these huge birds resting in our trees and Jax couldn't wait for me to come and take a picture of them. He informed me they are Turkey Vultures. YUCKY!

Next Field: Fashion and Design:

These pictures speak for themselves!

Next we explored a little Mechanical Engineering by bridge building!

Next Field: Civil Engineering Do you know the difference? I didn't, but I do now!

Next Field: Hydrology- The study of the movement, distribution, and quality of water

throughout the earth. We all learned that, in this case, the the water is moving down!

Ha ha!

That the water quality is VERY COLD this time of year!

And that it is distributed pretty much all over us!

Next Field: Geology- The Study of Rocks. Now if you know us well you will know that we LOVE

Geology and we study it frequently but none the less here Kenzi is

studying it yet again!

Geology is also the study of soil. Luke has been closely inspecting the components of the soil in Payson Canyon!

Next Field: Creative Arts

And last but not least, our favorite field: Culinary Arts, of course!

I hope you all got a good laugh and enjoyed seeing our crazy family in action. I am so thankful to be able to spend so much time with them and I love them all soooo much! They are the biggest blessing, challenge, and aspiration of my life.

Just one of many treasures from a book we are reading together as a family:

My highest aspiration is to be a clean, thrifty housekeeper, a bountiful cook, a faithful wife, a sympathetic mother. This is life work for any woman, and to be a good woman is the greatest thing on earth. To be a good wife and mother is the end to which I aspire. To hold the respect and love of my husband is the greatest object of my life.

-Mother

From the book Laddie, by Gene Stratton Porter

Life is so fragile

My heart is tender tonight as I have recently learned of the death of a super special boy who was in my primary in Wellington. His mom served as my primary secretary and is a sweet friend. His three sisters were also in my primary and Karl was their home teacher. They are an amazing family and have been such a great example to me about what it really means to have love and respect for one another.

Caleb Williams passed away during a scouting camp-out, when a sand tunnel he was digging collapsed on him. He was an amazing boy. His strength of character was phenomenal and very rare in a child as young as he, especially in this world today. He was so full of determination. He set his goals and worked hard and fearlessly to achieve them. He was respectful to his elders and kindhearted.

Jax had a special opportunity to spend several one on one hours with Caleb as, at one time Jax was wrestling and that was Caleb's passion, and he was good at it! Caleb was excited that Jax wanted to learn. He invited Jax over to his house and mentored him in wrestling. Caleb and his mom also took Jax with them on several occasions to Springville where they had wrestling practice. Caleb's many accomplishments in wrestling and other sports speak for themselves about how talented and dedicated he was.

His character didn't end with sports. I wish I could remember all the details of the little stories I have running around in my head about Caleb that his mom has shared with me. He was an exemplary boy and my heart is aching for his family.

Our whole family has just felt a hole in our hearts. My children have asked many questions and are saddened. It is so hard to make any sense about why Caleb was taken. We have to put our trust in the Lord. I'm certain their aren't many people out there with his strength of character. He is not done living and I'm thankful for my testimony of that. The Lord needed him at home to help him with something that only someone with Caleb's character could do.

I pray for his family. I can't imagine how they must feel. My heart aches for them. I'm thankful for the opportunity we had to be touched by Caleb's life. I know his example will forever stay with my son and myself.

This is a very young picture of Caleb the only one I could find in my files.

Pray for his family please.