Parting is such sweet sorrow....

Sunday morning, Cameron and Jacob had to go home. Brandon asked if they could go home and get their homework and be back by 8:00 pm. I had to explain that their Mom and Dad probably wanted them to get back to school and that the decision wasn't up to us. (We watched them while their dad was in the hospital. He is still there recovering from surgery.) We had such a good time with them that it seemed pretty lonesome without our "best cousins". (No offense to any of our other "best cousins.") Monday morning school started up again. I thought it might be easier without as many children to watch over, but I think it would have been easier to have them here. Things just seemed to run more smoothly with two extra kids. Who would have thought!

We decided to invite some homeschool friends over for our monthly book club. Our families read, "Carry On, Mr. Bowditch." It was a fantastic math classic set during the nation's founding. It was fascinating. Our family learned so much about geography, math, navigation, astronomy, government, becoming an entrepreneur, free enterprise, prosperity, freedom, how to self-educate, developing gifts and talents, and serving others. There were many similarities between sailing and family life that we were able to draw from to help strenthen our families. We highly recommend this book. Now, we really want to find a way to go sailing! Anyone own a sailboat?

It's not every day our young man turns eleven!

Yesterday was Brandon's birthday and our family spent the day at Discovery Gateway to celebrate. Cameron, Jacob, and Hayden, who are spending a few days in Utah, got to come also. We really went high adventure and took all eight kids, plus Grandma and Grandpa, on Frontrunner and then out to dinner afterward at Biaggi's (they have a great gluten-free menu). I'm so glad that we didn't get separated on the trains, no one fell onto the tracks, no one got lost, and no one caused too much attention at the restaurant (we had to explain to the server that they were not all my children--but almost.) Brandon had a great time--and that was the most important thing. We got home in time to get ready for bed, then Brandon, Cameron, Jacob, and Katelyn stayed up a little late watching Harry Potter (the first one, since he turns 11 in that one) in their pajamas and sleeping bags. Brandon was surprised at the end of the day when he got his microscope that he had been hoping for. It was a great day.

Happy 50th Anniversary, Mom and Dad!

Last weekend we celebrated the last 50 years with all my siblings, spouses, and Mom and Dad. It was such a great time. We left the kids (not a small feat) and stayed overnight at the Providence Inn (the Old Rock Church) where my parents had their wedding reception. It is a cute bed and breakfast now. They were great to pretty much let our family take over the place. The next morning we toured the old Carling home where dad grew up (can you believe they had 10 kids in a tiny 2-3 bedroom house?) We also went to the Logan Temple where they were married and had a really nice surprise luncheon at Maddox. It was worth all the work to put this together when we saw the look on Mom's face. She could not believe that all those people, even some who traveled from Idaho, were there to celebrate this special occasion with her. Thanks to everyone who made it possible!