Week at the Boyacks – Week 51 and 52 – Resigning as the General Manager of the Universe

Well… I did it. With this post I will have completed a report for 52 weeks… one entire year. This has been the best journaling experience I believe I’ve ever done. There is something about needing to return and report – to the world in this case – that really makes a person successful.

I am not the only family member accomplishing big goals. A couple of weeks ago Myles graduated from New mexico State University. We, of course, didn’t get to go, and we just got this picture of his big day. We are proud of him just the same. With that graduation came a big move. McKay and Myles packed up their belongings and moved north (I must add that they stopped too soon) to Salt Lake City for more school. This time, McKay will be going to school for 15 mouths to finish her LMT training and Myles will work. Then, the plan is for Myles to go to Grad School. After that, it is my vote that the packing begins again and the trek north west begins again. (really big cheesy grin).

It is the end of the school year. That means final concerts and awards. Hannah is one smart cookie. She earned a Rotary Award in English. She was surprised. Why is it that my kids don’t think they are good at writing and English? Come On! I was a good teacher. I promise. In fact, she took a test in her English class where she was asked to write for 15 minutes and 15 minutes only. After it was graded she got 18/16. Yes. You read that right. She exceeded the requirements! The truth is she was nominated in multiply classes… English just won out. She also got Most Valuable Alto and Most Valuable Choir Member at her final concert. (Once again…. I am lame and didn’t get a picture of the concert… but I did share a few videos of the choirs on Facebook). She’s been asked to be in Honors English and Honors Global Studies next year. It looks like her grades will be a 4.0 for her first official year in public school. Sigh. Sure miss her at home though.

Chad is finishing this year pretty well. He’s got a B+ or an A- in his collage math class. He is all signed up to start his Early College Now program in the fall. He will earn his GED, a HS diploma and college credit all at once. The best part is that someone else pays for it. 🙂 He went to take his placement test and scored high! He didn’t want me to post the scores, but let’s just say he was surprised and his adviser was surprised. I’m not. Once again. I did my best to be a good teacher… even if he disagrees… and he is one smart kid… even if he doesn’t believe in his own abilities. His scores were so high that he will move write into collage classes with no issues. His math classes at the HS also give him what he needs so that he won’t need to take math in college. He’s off to a great start for his goals.

Kimber and Ray keep working on their great accomplishments… greatest one is this little guy. I sure love him. He is a tease. He is determined. He can run – the one arm swing like his Uncle Chad used to do. He can scream. We all can’t wait for him to discover words… He is SO in love with his mom. NO one… and I mean NO ONE is allowed to touch Kimber. Ben gets so bent out of shape if anyone hugs Kimber… even his dad. Sadly, he doesn’t want anything to do with Ray at the moment. No worries Ray… you will become the favorite again soon enough. However, it does mean long days for Kimber. Thankfully, there are moments when his favorite auntie… Lilli… will do. When all else fails you could just offer to take him some place and he will gladly go. He loves to go in the car… at least for a little while.

He likes to follow Case around too. Case likes to be a super hero. Everyday he is a different hero. Case always brings an extra costume for Ben to play too. Hmm… these two are so much a part of our lives that the thought that someday they won’t be is sad… sigh. I mean, Case has one more year and he will be off to kindergarten… and someday Ben could move away with his parents. Maybe I should start counter measures. See.. I didn’t really like it last week when I didn’t get to see Ben and Kimber and Ray for 5 whole days. So… guys… you are commanded to stay close… and McKay and Myles I believe that the Willamette Valley is calling you. I’ll give you 4 years. Just saying…

This was a big week for Case. He got glasses. He really needed them. The poor kid really could not see so well. It took him a couple of days to get used to them. It is hard to adjust to actually seeing what you were doing. He had a little trouble navigating at first… he was running through the house (grrr) and he hit the door frame… but he eventually got the hang of things… THEN… he went outside. When he went outside he had his glasses. When he came back in… he didn’t. They were bugging him so he took them off. Somewhere, in the black hole known as my back yard, is a pair of glasses that Case got to wear for less than a week. GAH! We looked for hours. Today we mowed the yard. No glasses. So say a little prayer. They have to show up some time. Right? Meanwhile, we will continue to cover all our bases in the Super Hero department.

Ok… so it is spring and that means work in the yard. Kimber just posted these pictures from a couple of weeks ago when John and Ray got the garden ready for the YW to come and plant it for me for Mother’s day. I am happy to report that things are growing nicely… although I should probably get out there and actually weed before the weeds take over again. I am looking forward to the millions of raspberries, tomatoes, and other yummies I see growing. We even have grapes this year!

John is discovering that he really likes yard work. Who knew? I decided sweat men are cutest when they are actually slaving away for you. LOL! Maybe I need a pool. Then John could be the “Pool Boy” too. LOL. The back yard is looking pretty good. Now it is time to give the front yard a little more TLC. At least the flowers are pretty. I sure love those roses.

John and Lilli moved the baby chickens out of the garage. Thank heavens! Their stench was starting to creep into my house through the laundry room! They started by moving the babies and their pen next to the chicken coop so that all the chickens could see each other through the fence and become friends. that was for a week. Then, they hung carrots in the coop so that the old chickens would have something to distract them and moved the babies into the coop. The idea was to get the big chicken not to peck the little chicken to death. It didn’t work. The big chicken kept the little chicken in the corner and they could get food or water.

So… the big chickens were kicked out of the coop and put in the little pen away from the coop. That will show them. Meanwhile, the little chickens are loving Ruling the Roast. I’m not sure they have figured out how to go up the bridge to the nesting boxes and roasts, but they scratch, eat and drink down below like happy little campers. At this point they may all get moved into the coop at the end of the week. If they are not nice the big, old chickens’ names may all change to Dinner! Stew! Drumstick! Faijita!

Oh! I forgot. Ben has adopted a new habit…. very reminiscent of his Aunt McKay… he will only eat if he is sitting on someone’s lap… well, at least at my house. He wants his own fork… but he wants your food. sometimes he even wants the food on your own fork!

… he also likes to steel your chair if you are playing a game or watching a movie on the computer. He even gets crank if he decided the recliner is his chair for the day. I think it’s time to get Kimber’s little rocking chair from the attic for Ben’s use.

This week Lilli got a new hair-do. She was growing her hair because she wanted to audition for Mary in The Secret Garden. I told her that Mary needed long hair. She loves short hair and has wanted to cut it for awhile, but decided it was worth growing it if she got the part. Surprise! She shares the part of Colin! So the hair got to go. She was SO excited!

Ta-dah! Did I mention she loves short hair. We got her some gel and she has gone nuts creating different looks!

This weekend Hannah and John went to the temple with the youth in the ward…

They were nice enough to take a few pictures for me… 🙂

meanwhile, Kimber and I went sunbathing at Lilli’s game. Seriously… we got sunburned!

Lilli did well. She got to play lots… third base and pitcher mound (adults were pitching). She also did a great hitting. However, her last turn at bat she was tired. She swung at everything. It was hot and they were all ready to go home. It was fun that the Tapasa’s came to cheer the team on too! Thanks guys!

We also all went to watch Hannah perform with the Seuss Troope at school. They told Seuss stories. We borrowed the set from the Dance Studio. It worked out perfectly!