LAS VEGAS TEMPLE

Today a dear friend of mine came for a vist,

and we went and spent a morning in a temple (LDS Temple).

 

 

 

I love going there. 

It is such a pieceful place.  When I enter the temple, all my worries, troubles and my crazy, busy life seems to take a back seat.

 

It was a good place to spent my morning, since the afternoon was spent in

the dentist office

with my entire family.

 

Six check ups, and clean ups later, and $1400 poorer...

and follow up appointments for next month for another $1000...

 

sometimes I wonder if we should consider a dental insurance...

 

or to stop eating sugar!

KAI ROCKED THE XCOUNTRY MEET

Kai is in the Mannion Middle School cross country team. 

They have been training since mid July, which is no  small accomplishment in the Vegas heat.

 

Today was their first meet of the season. 

They run 1.5 miles.

 

It was a hot day - 105 F (40 C). 

I was hot and sweaty, and I was not even running...just cheering him on.

 

There were about 60 kids running,

 

Kai took a first place.

 

Jason and I were very proud watching, and cheering him on.  The best part was that he went to the competition expecting to take a second place overall, but he pushed on and won the meet.

 

Go Kai!

 

 

 

 

FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL

...and the summer vacation is over!

 

It was fun as long as it lasted, but all the good things come to an end.

 

Today was the fist day of school! 

 

Markus had to get up 5:15 to make it to seminary, and then to High School. 

Kai had to be at his middle school by 7:45,

and Niko and Maija had to be at school by 9 to not be tardy. 

 

Niko rode his scooter, and just like last year..wanted to leave 40 minutes before the bell rings...just to make sure to be there in time...when in reality, it takes him less than 10 minutes to get to school.

 

And then there is Maija...always running late. 

By the time Niko was at school, catching up with all his friends...Maija was still looking for her socks, and who knows what else....

 

It was a great day!  Kids all made it to school.

 

Jason and I enjoyed the first day to school as well...by running errands together,

grabbing some lunch in a San Francisco Sourdough Eatery,

and enjoying the quiet car ride around town ...

We got to listen the radio station we wanted to...such luxury!

 

 

Kai ready for school.

 

I almost forgot to take a picture of Niko.  Fortunately he forgot his luch and came back for it.

 

By show of your fingers...what grade are you in?

 

I did forgot to take a picture of Markus but when it is 5 something in the morning, it is easy to forget lots of things.  So, this was taken after the school, while Markus was working on his first homework assignment.

 

 

 

 

FALL AND BAND

Sure sign of fall:

 

The marching band practises have started.
 

Last two weeks Markus has been rehersing with the marching band, 6-8 hours per day.

Last Friday they performed for all of the ....

 

...proud parents...

 

We are ready for Football Season.

Go Foothill Falcons!

 

 

 

 

RAIN!

According to statistics it rains only five days during entire year here.

 

So, when it rains it is a big deal! 

 The kids go looking for rain gear (mostly umbrellas),

and if they are lucky the may find a broken one somewhere in the back of a closet.

 

Today was one of those very exciting rainy days

...it rained off an on all day long

...accompanied by thunder and lightning...

What an exciting day!

 

 

 

ICE BLOCKING

Here in desert, where we live, it practically never snows. 

One would think that we never get to go sledding,

but not so...

Last night we took the Activity Day Girls (church group for girls 8-11 years old),

and went ice blocking to a nearby park.

This is how it works:  you get a block of ice from a store, you hike it to the top of the hill, and you set it on the ground. 

You sit on the ice,(you may want to use a towel between you and the block of ice)

...and then...

weeeeeeeeee....

the ice melts in the heat and you slide down the hill

 

According to Maija it was the best activity yet!

 

 

WHEN YOUR HEART SPEAKS TO YOU TAKE NOTES

All around Wonderful Day!

Markus and Kai returned home from a week and a half stay at the cabin. 

It is so fun having everyone home again...

...nosier, more chaotic...

rounding up everybody for scripture study and evening prayer seemed to take three times longer...

yet...I would not trade our chaos for all the riches in the world...

Church was inspiring...

I made some new resolutions again...

During the summer I have been neclecting my conference Ensign reading...

I really need to start again...

In Sunday School we talked about how to teach children to be humble.  I loved how our teacher reminded how Heavenly Father teaches us how to be humble through challenges...we can learn from Him and NOT rescue our children every time they face a challenge...

The lesson in Relief Society was to

Take Notes When Your Hear Speaks to You...

I am ready for a new week ... and some reading

...and note taking :)

BOUNTIFUL BASKETS

I love Bountiful Baskets!

http://bountifulbaskets.org/

Markus and Kai tell me they hate them...

...too much fruits and veggies...they say...

Beginning of the week I make an order online...

and on Satuday I go pick up a basket of surprise

...and other goodies...

Today I got 10 loaves of Sourdough Bread...

Box of Mangos

Bag of Granola

peppers, mushrooms, cherries, lettuce, tomatoes, celery, kale, honey dew and bananas

...tomorrow we will have some hearty spagetti sauce...



EXTREME CUB SCOUT DAY CAMP

Niko and Jason attended daily cub scout day camp this past week.

Outside...in a local park.

If it had not been over 110 everyday it had been even more fun.

Shout out for Jason volunteering every day...
...even during official extreme heat warning days...

One of the absolute highlights was the firetruck coming and

hosing...cooling

everbody down.

Extreme cirqumstances call for extreme mesures!

Friday night we had our family bbq at the daycamp.

Rock climbing wall had been set up...

Niko and Maija kept them busy...climbing up several times.

Maija was the first one of all the kids that night to push the red button on top.

 She was very proud of her accomplishment.

Maija going up...

Maija coming down...

Niko going up....

Niko coming down....

"Let's do it again!!!!"



PROJECTS, PROJECTS, PROJECTS

I have too many unfinished projects lurking around.

This summer I resurrected one of them. 

It is a small wall hanging...cotton and wool felt.

Started it ... maybe a year ago...

I just finished it today!!! 

Words of warning...it is very difficult to find a tiny button (sheep's eye) from a shaggy carpet!

The other project I worked on this summer was this scrap quilt.  I used all my old scraps to make it.  Nothing matches, and that is the point!

This reminds me of my childhood. 

We would find our old clothes woven to beautiful rag rugs.

I still need to quilt and bind it...

and there it goes...

to dwell with other unfinished projects:)

GET MAD - CLEAN UP

It does not happen very often. 

Very rearly am I so mad that I can not sleep!   But it happened last night. 

The good thing was that I got all the laundry folded and dishes done, while the steam was coming out of my ears!

 

So this morning when I woke up...I was not mad any more, and the chores are already done.

I even got a broken watering line fixed this morning with my spare time...I have been meaning to fix it for past couple of months...but it has always been so hot! 

Now I am looking forward to a smaller water bill next month!

CLEANING WINDOWS

Niko and Maija have been wonderful helpers this summer...mastering all kinds of chores.

This morning I asked them to clean our patio doors.

Our glass doors attract fingerprints! 

Nothing works better than crumbled newsprint and glass cleaner.

Thanks guys!

MORNING WALK

I heard the percussions practising in high school during my morning walk. 

I have missed it. 

 Last fall I would love to listen them, knowing that Markus was there playing and marching.  Next week rest of the marching band will join in.  Markus will be there again.  Who needs an iPod when you can listen live music...or at least drumming :)

I love the mornings! 

You wake up and your day is like an empty canvas ready to be painted.  Sometimes you may have a plan, an idea how the day should go, but in the end of the day when you step back and look at your painting, it always surprises...

Sometimes you just need to redo it...and next morning there is an empty canvas waiting for you again!

The days seem to get warmer and warmer.  There is not a lot of shade to be found during our walk.

When we I first moved here, it was hard for me to find beauty from the nature.  I have always loved walks outside.  My surroundings were so different now.  One day it hit me that God created this also, and for me to say that it was not beautiful was putting his creation down.  Ever since that realization it has been easier to see the beauty...it is different, but yet good.

In the end of our walk Scooby will enjoy his hosing down...cooling down station in our backyard!

It is 8:45 am and I am off to paint the rest of my canvas.



MAIJA'S BAPTISM

Maija was baptised July 14th...so this post is little late.  Better late than never! 

The day was super stressful! 

Jason and Markus were returnng from scout camp at San Diego that afternoon and Kai was returning from scout camp at Arizona.

Maija's baptism was 5 pm, and we finally had everybody at home showering and getting ready at 4:15 pm. 

We rushed to the stake center. But once we got there all the stress disappeared.  It was a wonderful event. 

We were able to share it with lots of family and friends. 

Maija was the last one of our children to be baptized. 

It is always bitter sweet with her. 

No more babies to cuddle. No more Kindergarteners to sent to school. No more baptisms to plan.

You can do it with other people's children but it will never be the same.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY JASON!

Today we celebrated Jason's birthday, in the midst of cub scout day camp, activity days, friends dropping by, kids and their friends swmming and playing.  It was a fun, all around normal, good day. Finally, around 9:30 pm most of us were home (Markus and Kai are at the cabin with grandparents) so we had some chocolate cake lighted with sparklers. It was very festive :).  Oh, and what was in the gift bag? Maija and I got Jason a 36 pack of Kitkat choccolate bars...which of course he needs to share with all of us! :)

RAIN DROPS AND PEACHES

I took Scooby on a walk this morning.  I am trying to do it as early as possible, since it gets so hot so soon.  Middle of our walk I felt something wet on my knee. 

My first thought was that it was a bird poop,

but no...it was a rain drop. 

Rain is such a rare occasion!

I love the rain, and I miss it.  I miss the fall rain in Finland.  I miss the summer showers that make everything smell so good, so fresh. 

 So this morning I lingered outside, even after our walk. 

 Unfortunately the rain was gone in no time, and the temperature claimbed to the triple digits again.

I have been trying to find frozen peaches for my smoothies from Costco with no luck.  Last Saturday I picked up a box of fresh peaches from Bountiful Baskets.  Today I sliced them and stored them in a freezer. 

 I finally have my own frozen peaches.