Happy 17th Birthday Kara

 On Kara's 17th Birthday she had a had a fun day of school.  Matt made her an Omelet for breakfast, one of her favorite things to eat.  On the night of her birthday she also had an improv show that she was in.   So we took her out for an early dinner and then she had to go to practice before her show.  Spencer and Colton went with Matt and I to her show.  Here is a picture from after her show with her brothers.  

 After the show instead of having our family birthday, Kara was asked on a date from a cute boy she met through regional events that attends Lehi High School that night.  He came to see her in her improv show and then after our pictures Kara went on her first date with him.  Kaeden had just turned in his mission papers and now has a call to the Atlanta Georgia Mission.

 On Saturday we celebrated Kara's birthday.  The weekend was so busy as Matt had to work and Kara and I were busy packing to go to Turkey.

 Kara opening her presents

For Kara's birthday she got rain boots, a ukelele and  some other small stuff and a trip to Turkey!

 Sadly, no homemade cake (too crazy) so a yummy red velvet cake from Costco.

Turkey here we come!

Kara and I just reserved our tickets to go and visit Coby in Turkey for his birthday.  We are super excited.  Kara is in shock.   She has never left the country.  Kara wants to travel the world and so Matt really thought she should be able to go too!  Personally, he thinks this trip will cause her to not want to travel the world, but I think it will do the opposite and especially if Coby has anything to do with it!   WOW!!!   We are excited!!!  We will be there almost a week to see Coby and celebrate his birthday and see the sights.  Coby has been keeping us abreast on plane tickets and they just hit a record low now that there is a direct flight to Paris from SLC.  We are super excited to see him in less than 4 months.  I have been working over time to pay for our tickets and since Matt and I have been doing the Dave Ramsey program we have sold some stuff and paid off all of our debt except for our home which we are making LARGE payments too.   Doing this has been giving me much more peace of mind.   It works.  I love having no debt and saving money all over the place.  It has been good for us and now we are excited to go to Turkey.



Below is a picture of Coby finishing another month of Turkish classes!!! 

We are planning a trip for a family vacation sometime in Jan 2015 or February 2015 to take our home family on a cruise.  It is good to save money for such a fun event.  One of my boys asked me if he were married if we would pay for his wife too!  I was thrilled and of course I said yes. Someone thinking of getting married; this makes me happy!  I can't wait to be a grandma and spoil my grandchildren with love, time and attention. 

National Honor Society and Meli's report card!

Last week Kara was abducted into the National Junior Honor Society.  I was a very nice program, but mainly because it was short and sweet.  It was Sunday dress and it is always fun to celebrate Kara's accomplishments.  

 None of our pictures turned out really well.   Matt actually took pictures with his camera that actually turned out.   But for the time being I wanted to document it.

Kara went home with a nice certificate, a pin and they had some yummy cookies and punch for dessert.  We are proud of Kara.


Meli's report card also came in the mail today.  She did an amazing job!   She is such a good student and studies so hard.  The different requirements in school in Germany and the tests that need to be taken are very daunting.  

Halloween Fun

 I love to do festive things during the holidays.  One of my favorite holiday traditions is making sugar cookies.  This year we had Meli to help us make the cookies and she was a big help.  Everyone helped roll out the cookie dough, frost the cookies and decorate.

 We also had fun for FHE when Kara and Meli were carving their pumpkins.  Meli hadn't carved a pumpkin since when she was 8, so it was fun to watch her.   Kara made her pumpkin into  something related to Hungry Games and she was so happy because  she put a picture of her pumpkin on Twitter and one of the actors in the movie liked it.  She was on Cloud 9.    Meli carefully cleaned out her pumpkin and then made a fun face for her pumpkin.  

Oops, I forgot the finished result, but when I do I will put them on here!

On the Fly

Kara had her first improv show.  It was such an animated program.  I knew Kara was funny, but I realized she was even funnier than I realized.  I had never been to an improv team so I wasn't sure what to expect.  I was pleasantly surprised, that it was even better than I could imagine. Matt, I and Meli went to see her show.  I don't think I have laughed that hard in a long time.  It was so much fun!  Below is a picture of Kara and her dad after the show.  I keep forgetting to bring my camera,  and I don't take too good of pictures with my phone.   Meli was standing right next to Kara, but I didn't get her in the pictures. 

School Fees---I can't even believe $690.00 for one student!

Unpaid Balance: $15.00 [refresh]
School Year	Ent	Due Date	Billing Description	Amount Charged	Amount Paid	Amount Due	Class
2014	704	07/12/13	REGISTRATION 2013/14	$105.00	$105.00	$0.00
2014	704	08/21/13	PTSA Membership	$6.00	$6.00	$0.00
2014	704	08/21/13	national honor society dues	$20.00	$20.00	$0.00
2014	704	08/21/13	Yearbook Fee	$50.00	$50.00	$0.00
2014	704	08/21/13	Student Parking Permit	$20.00	$20.00	$0.00
2014	704	09/05/13	CONCERT CHOIR ACAPPELLA	$10.00	$10.00	$0.00	CONCERT CHOIR ACAPPELLA
2014	704	09/06/13	PHYSICS	$5.00	$5.00	$0.00	PHYSICS
2014	704	09/06/13	THEATRE 3	$30.00	$30.00	$0.00	THEATRE 3
2014	704	09/06/13	MARINE BIO	$5.00	$0.00	$5.00	MARINE BIO
2014	704	09/06/13	MARINE BIO	$5.00	$0.00	$5.00	MARINE BIO
2014	704	09/06/13	SPORTS/ENTMT MKTG	$5.00	$0.00	$5.00	SPORTS/ENTMT MKTG
2014	704	09/18/13	Acappella Dress PURCHASE	$89.00	$89.00	$0.00
2014	704	09/18/13	Music Participation (vocal/instrumental)	$50.00	$50.00	$0.00
2014	704	09/18/13	Drama Participation	$40.00	$40.00	$0.00
2014	704	09/18/13	acapella spirit pack-tshirt	$10.00	$10.00	$0.00
2014	704	09/18/13	drama -Shakespeare	$240.00	$240.00	$0.00	TOTAL
				$690.00	$675.00	$15.00

Kara's first day of her Junior year

 Today was Kara's first day of school as a Junior at Bingham!   She had an uneventful day!  

This week and other things....

Wow!  What a jammed pack week!  This week started off with going to Layla's soccer game.  She happened to be playing her championship game really close to our home so I was able to go and see it.  She is an awesome soccer player and it was fun to watch her competitive soccer team win. 

 Meli started school this week.  Kara and Meli went to a new school orientation to become more familiar with her schedule.  We went to an Aspect Foundation mandatory meeting.  There they discussed the rules and familiarized the students with the program. I really like her program director, Heather.  She happens to have been Kara's German teacher so it was cool for Kara to go to her home.  Aspect, the organization that Meli is a part of, seems to be really organized and very supportive.  I have already gotten several phone calls for them checking on how things are going and Meli has too.  I also went to a Back to School night with Meli and I was really impressed with her school.  I have a Highland Ram and a Bingham Miner.  Kara went to her first high school football game. 

Meli had her first day of school on Wednesday and she really liked it.  She thinks her classes might be too easy, but we decided to wait  a week or so before changing them. Kara has her first day tomorrow.  I have been so impressed with Meli's attitude about starting everything new.  She is so easy going and has a fun sense of humor and very smart! 

We spent a lot of time going shopping for things for Meli.  On Thursday we went to get Meli some school supplies and other things.  We went out to a sandwich shop and since it was so close to Wal Mart we decided to go there.  I generally don't like this particular Wal Mart, but decided since it was close to AT&T that we should suck it up and go.  BIG. MISTAKE.  To make a long story short, Meli wanted to get some slippers.  She picked out some adorable slippers.  They were soft and fluffy.  She put her feet in them to make sure they fit at the store.  They fit just fine, but when we got home and she was taking out the stuffing often in new shoes, she realized it wasn't stuffing, but a MOUSE!!   Seriously, I have yet to see the mouse, but Kara, Meli and Matt both did and I will take their word for it. I despise mice like I can't even describe.  I couldn't even look at it or it would be forever etched in my mind.  Matt is planning to take pictures of it, but I don't want it on my camera or on my blog or I would be ILL!  Sorry, to be so dramatic, but this is how I feel.  Anyways, I feel horrible that this happened to Meli with her first purchase of slippers/shoes.  She was a good sport about it and wasn't too traumatized.   Spencer has been in contact with the store manager and he has been very helpful, I don't really feel like it is the stores fault, but they have assured us that they have check all of their slippers and there are no mice in them.  We are taking them back, mouse and all tomorrow. 

We took Meli and Kara camping.  The weather unfortunately was a little on the cold side.  We brought our boat up to Bear Lake and Meli said she hadn't been on a boat like that before or for a long time.   We came home a little early because  it was colder and Kara just found out on Tuesday that she had to read a book and do other homework before school started on Monday.  Somehow her English teacher didn't pass out the assigned work last year.  Poor thing. 

 Had to go to La Beau's to get a yummy burger.  Matt and Meli got a grilled cheese.

 Camping, right before it started to rain!

And with other news, Spencer has had a two week work vacation.  Colton has been busy working and attending mission farewells and homecomings.  He has an appointment with this counselor at the dept of Vocation.  He is deciding which program he will do with her this Tuesday and then he will start school.  Both boys don't like me blogging about them much, so I try to respect their wishes, but it is HARD. 

Coby gave a talk in church on Sunday.  I wish I could have been there to hear it.  The subject was Marriage, that makes me wish I could have been there all the more! 

 

 

The last couple days!

Meli is such a sweet, adorable, polite young woman.  We are thoroughly delighted with her.  It has been fun having her in our home.  We picked her up at the airport on Saturday afternoon. It was fun to wait for her as there were many foreign exchange students coming.   We ordered pizza  and Meli told us afterwards that it was one of her favorite dishes.  She was sweet and brought us a fun German cookbook,  lots of yummy chocolate, and a book about Hamburg.  She is from a gorgeous area.

 It has been fun to hear Meli's perspective on things. It is all fresh and new.  She has a great attitude about following the rules that Aspect Foundation has layed out.  We have taken her to church with us, shown her around the area.  Kara even took her to a boring party and she came home with an American cup. So cute!  

 Tonight we went to a mandatory training meeting for Aspect.  They again went over the rules and shared the do and don't.  They suggest that she only spend three hours on the Internet in one week.  Luckily, that is excluding blogging and skyping with her family.  As soon as she got home she took Facebook off of her phone.  Boy, was I impressed. 

 Tonight Kara and Meli were running some errands and then tomorrow Matt, Kara and Meli and Adell (another foreign exchange student) are attending her school orientation.  Then later tomorrow night we will  be attending her Back to School night.  Meli speaks such good English and is such a positive person to have around.  I can tell her parents did a great job raising her into a beautiful young woman.  It has been so good for Kara to have a "sister."  They both get along so well.  

Above is a picture of her room with all the fun pictures she put on her wall of family and friends.  You can tell she is adored.  Wednesday is her first day of school.  She is so excited to start school so she can learn.  Her attitude is contagious and I am grateful!

Meli will be here in a week!

In less than a week Meli will be here.  We are so excited to have her here and we already love and adore her.  It has been fun to skype with her and talk to her on the phone!   I get very excited about so many things and I love most parts of life.  I hope that I don't overwhelm her with showing her our home, area and USA.   We have her room almost ready.  Her room is across from Kara's and we picked out a few things that are her favorite colors!  We have been busy getting the room ready for her, registering her in school.  Colton graciously moved in the basement and we think he might like it a little too much.

I have been thinking a lot about Meli's parents and how it must be hard for them to say good bye.   I would certainly struggle with it.   School is about to start in a couple of weeks. It is hard to believe how quick the summer has gone.  Meli actually starts school on August 21st so she will be in school right after she gets here.  Kara doesn't start until the 26th so she isn't far behind.  We are planning to  take Meli to a lot of fun places around our area. Kara and I think we might feel like tourists, because sometimes you don't check out all of the fun places right around your area because you live there.    We will see!

My brother John and family will be here on Tuesday.  My nephew Steven is going to the MTC on Wednesday morning.  It will be so good to see their family and be able to visit with them.

Coby has had an exciting time in Turkey.  He recently had friends visit him and they took a lot of pictures. Most of those pictures were from my blog post dated on 8/4.   I love pictures; it doesn't make him seem as far away.