One bite at a time

I just read over my last post and it is good that I did because I was about to start this post the same way, about it being so long since my last post and feeling so overwhelmed with so much to catch up on and blah blah blah.  Let's get down to business.
Last year was my first year of teaching Addie homeschool.  The area we are living in, I really didn't feel comfortable sending her to the public school and after having a new baby and juggling nap times, I knew I wouldn't be able to drive her to a school farther away so we started homeschooling.  Kimball got into the Zoo Kindergarten which was amazing.  I knew I would be homeschooling them both this year once we got back to Omaha but I realized that school would be starting while we were in Parowan and even though it would only be for a month, I wanted my kids to have the experience of Parowan Elementary.  I LOVE Parowan Elementary and Flag Ceremony every week where the girls wear dresses and the boys have to wear shirts with collars and we sing so many songs.  I love that Parowan has all these traditions that build so much in kids.  This is why, even though it was for only a month, I put my kids in school.  THEY LOVED IT!

 

I loved that they walked to and from school together.  My parents live right by the school and I loved just sitting on the back deck watching them walk home together talking and then once they spotted me, run up and tell me all about school and drop their backpacks and go looking for bugs or picking raspberries or whatnot.  It was so great.  

 They were really sad to say goodbye to their new friends they had made.  They both had great teachers.  Addie had Mrs. Townsend that was my good friend in highschool and we graduated together with our teaching degree from SUU.
Kimball had Mrs. Johnson who I actually subbed for while she was out on maternity leave back when Addie was a baby.  I loved that I knew both their teachers.

We had to say goodbye to their wonderful principal, Mr. Porter who was my principal all through elementary school as well.  I did my student teaching in Parowan so it was great to go back in and visit a bit.

 We really just loved every minute of our whole Parowan experience (except for the being sick part).  We especially loved sleeping out on the deck and seeing the stars and sunsets.  I have only really seen maybe 10 or so sunsets the whole 5 years we have lived here in Omaha.  Unless I am out driving at that time, we just don't have a good view where we live and I have missed it so much so it was great to drink it all in while we were in Parowan.

While we were out in Utah, we had a Vincent family reunion.  I love, love, love being with my family.  Even if it does get a little chaotic with all of us together.  There are over 40 of us when we get together and my parents house just can't hold us all so we have rented a cabin up Cedar mountain a few times and it has been wonderful.  We started out with some family pictures that were far more stressful than needed.  We planned for months before hand to do it outside with the view of the hills surrounding Parowan in the background.  Of course it rained the day pictures were planned.  We were scrambling trying to get a backup plan but as you can imagine, finding a place for that many people indoors with good lighting was a little difficult but luckily our prayers were answered and the rain stopped right before we needed to start pictures.  It was a little muddy but the view was totally worth it.  

 Side note:  The hymn Carry On is originally named Parowan.  Every time I drive into the valley after being away for a while I can't help but bust out singing "Firm as the Mountains around us, stalwart and brave we stand..."

The whole tribe

My sister Darla and her family

My brother Denny and his family

My sister Michelle and her family

My sister Paige and her family (I couldn't find my sepia picture of them)

My brother Kyle and his family

My sister Valerie and her family

My little family that I love so so much

All because two people fell in love

The Sistah's

The sistahs plus a photo bomber :)

Varoo and Lulu

Eliza, Tess, and Avonlea.  I love that all my kids have cousins so close to them in age

Jarom boy

Little Miss Avonlea

The Bebo

Addie Mae

My heart throb

The day after pictures, we all headed up to the cabin for plenty of family play time.  I love that we don't plan a ton of activities.  It leaves a lot of time for simply playing and visiting.  There is a little pond on the property with some canoes and paddle boats.  The kids spend a lot of time swimming.  You won't catch me in that water though, it is f-r-eeeeezing! 

Kimball and Luke fishing with Grandpa

Jarom thought about going swimming but then his toe felt the water and he decided against it

I love all these kiddos

 

My cute mom and dad

 Yummy s'mores time

 The only thing that is really "planned" is a family talent show.  It's always fun to see what everyone comes up with.  

This year, Dad and Valerie got chosen to play Egg Russian Roulette where they had to choose an egg from a carton to break over their own head.  Some were hard boiled and some were not.  I don't know if this really is considered a "talent" but is was a lot of fun to watch.

This year Ammon was a true sport.  I sat behind him and put my arms through his so it looked like my arms were his and then proceeded to put make-up on him  (obviously not being able to see him) while the whole time he pretended like he was giving a make-up lesson and pretended to know what the name of the make-up stuff was, like mascara and such.  It was so funny.  I was laughing so hard, I was having a hard time putting the make-up on him but I guess that was the whole point of it.  My arms are so much shorter than his though, especially since I was behind him so it was like a T-Rex trying to put make-up on trying to reach the face with such short arms.  Good times!

2 of my tween nieces choreographed a dance that had quite a lot of Napoleon Dynamite moves in it.  We were all laughing but I was surprised even more when they pretended to lasso Ammon and he went up there and finished the dance with them.  Unbeknownst, to the rest of us, they had pre-planned this whole thing and he had learned their dance moves and I was dying laughing.  I fell in love with Ammon all over again that night.  I love watching Ammon interact with my family.  He doesn't hold back his fun side and just lets loose, which has given everyone a lot of ammo to tease him about but he is so loved by everyone.  All the little nieces and nephews beg for him to sing his songs on the guitar and tell stories at bedtime and he just does it all so willingly.  I totally lucked out when I found Ammon.  He not only fit every puzzle piece I had but added a whole new beautiful picture to my puzzle.  Man I love that man.