Another great man has gone from this earth.  Grandpa Leo Dean Hymas died almost two weeks ago. We will miss him.  He served his God and his country with all he had.  He was a patriot through and through.  He exuded that love for God and country like quite possibly no one I have ever known.  I am so grateful we can have such a wonderful hero to call our own.

Today I have another hero.  She is littler, but still a giant.  She never fought in a war, never made the cover of a magazine.  But Grandma Amy Hymas, is a hero to me.  She is someone I want to be like. Ever positive, ever happy, ever faithful.  This picture of Grandma holding the flag from Grandpa’s casket perfectly captures her positive, faithful, disposition.

All of those happen at the end of August.  Well, ok, fall doesn’t, but we are only just past the end of August and our leaves are starting to change.  And let’s be honest, I have a hard time resisting alliteration. Liberty could not contain herself today….

It’s never too early to rake leaves!

Welcome fall!

This year we have decided to put all the kids in public school. I have very mixed feelings about this decision.  If you had talked to me on the first day of school, you would have thought it was the end of the world.  That’s sort of how it felt.  My sister, Alli, knew that without my having to say it and sent me this beautiful bouquet that day to help me get through it.  

But it’s been two weeks now and I am coming to terms with it. This is the best thing for our kids and for me right now.  I had no idea how interrupted I have lived my life.  When I was planning my menu for the week or working out on the treadmill I kept waiting for someone to call my name and need me.  That loss is both good and bad.  I have been able to spend two weeks studying, praying, pondering-for hours at a time!  It has been healing and rejuvenating.  I need this right now and so does my family.  So all is well.

The First Day of School

Levi (3rd grade) was fairly nervous the first day but came home loving it.  He is now in the running for tether ball champion.  Liberty (1st grade) was so excited she could hardly stand it.  First day quotes from Liberty: “Today was about obeying.” When she wanted to walk home by herself and I wouldn’t let her she said, “Mom, I want to practice my braveness.” On her first day of PE she actually asked the teacher, Mrs. Mathy, if she could please call her Mrs. Taffy instead.  I am currently reading Anne of Green Gables and this girl of mine reminds me more and more of Anne every day.  She and Levi come home every day telling me about their new little playmates and adventures at school. Makes me happy to see my social butterflies so happy.

Cade-7th grade

Reagan-8th grade

Reagan and Cade slid right back into the school thing this year.  No dramas or traumas like last year. They know what they’re doing and they feel pretty cool about that fact.

Also the last week of August was the Southwestern Idaho Fair.  The older boys were at a church activity all day last Saturday so we took just the littles to the fair.  It was lots of fun.

They were fascinated with the fly traps near the cows.  

Yes, those are flies.  Yuck. 

I feel so sorry for cows.

And Liberty has now done something I’ve never done.  She milked a cow!  Unfortunately, when I made her turn and look at me for the picture, she missed the bucket and sprayed her leg!  Oops.

In other news this week that did not fit into my alliteration…

Liberty got her hair cut! Homeschooling has its advantages and one of them is that you don’t have to “do” your kid’s hair every stinking day.  So after one week of daily washing and styling for school, we chopped a bunch of her hair off.  She looked adorable, but hated it the first day.  She wouldn’t even smile for me when I tried to take a picture of it.  

But after getting compliments on it constantly, she has decided she likes it.

She and Levi were busy creating in and out of school this week.  

Liberty finished the blanket she started on vacation.

She was so excited and proud of this accomplishment.  

It is the perfect size for her stuffed Piggy. 

And Levi made his first pie.

It says LJH, trust me on this one.

We now have two kids in braces at our house.  Yippee. 

 I find little rubberbands all over my house, in my car, in my clothes, in my food.  I dream about elastics.  Sigh.  And the orthodontist wants to put Levi in braces too.  I think I will shoot myself.

And lastly, just a pretty picture from our peaceful FHE at a nearby park last week.  Ok, so it wasn’t all that peaceful, but this moment was.  And I guess FHE would have fit into my title alliteration, so I’ll end with it!