Life at the Flora's is usually some kind of craziness, hopefully some kind learning, occasionally some kind of sharing, constantly some kind of growing,
and always some kind of wonderful!
Most people who have lived in Indiana their whole lives have not seen it get above 100 degrees - and if it does, it happens maybe once a summer. Usually getting into the 90's is a rare thing, although that lack of direct heat is always made up for with the over abundance of humidity, that makes it feel like it is in the 90's and 100's in a usual summer. This year has been an exception. It is crazy dry and crazy HOT. A friend told me a few weeks ago that there has been more 90 degree days this year in Indiana than in the last 20 years combined! We are under drought conditions unlike anything in the last 100 years, with water restrictions in place, and no watering the lawn is allowed, only veggie gardens and some flowers, trees that are younger than 5 years ... the whole Indiana corn and soybean crops are severely affected. We are praying for rain and fasting with our church on Sunday for rain, that this area so desperately needs.
Despite the lack of rain, I have some cone flowers that I planted from seed a few years ago - they grew taller than me this spring and are amazing. The birds and the butterflies love them - the swallowtail butterfly in this picture had wings as big as my hands. It was beautiful!
Because it is to hot almost to even swim, we are spending some creative energy inside - the kids love "lunchables" and I hate how much they cost as well as the lack of nutrition in them ... so I saved some old containers from purchased ones and we made our own. That way we can add whole grain crackers, fruits and veggies, real cheese --- you get the picture. The kids love it and they are super cheap for lunch.
We found this on YouTube after a friend of Master S told us about it. It is a song that is quite popular right now, re-done Sesame Street style - love Cookie Monster and the whole share the cookies thing :)
Miss Lilly has been begging and you can see in these pictures how thrilled she was when I suggested we learn how to make a tablecloth for her doll table as a FIRST sewing project. She used the serger, the sewing machine and the iron. We worked on straight lines ... we will be working on straight lines for awhile. But, she did an awesome job and loved every minute of it.
The perk of having Miss Lilly sew, is that I have also been able to do some sewing ... remember those blocks for Miss Lilly's quilt? I put them together and finally was able to lay them out on her bed to get a feel for how I want to set them in a quilt.
I'm super excited - I'm loving how it is going together, I am just having a hard time resisting the urge to sit at the sewing machine all day!
I love the flowers and the butterfly. Hopefully you guys will get some rain soon! We were in a drought, but ended up getting rain for 4 or 5 days and some places got flooded really badly. Thankfully, ours wasn't one of those places.
Looks like Miss Lilly is becoming a Miss Kimi Crafter. :)
I am laughing about the cookie monster song! We have heard the real version of the song lots lately and I get a kick out of the sesame street version. Thanks for sharing!
“I Really Lived” By Sister Marjorie Hinckley “I don’t want to drive up to the pearly gates in a shiny sports car, wearing beautifully, tailored clothes, my hair expertly coiffed, and with long, perfectly manicured fingernails. I want to drive up in a station wagon that has mud on the wheels from taking kids to scout camp. I want to be there with grass stains on my shoes from mowing Sister Schenck’s lawn. I want to be there with a smudge of peanut butter on my shirt from making sandwiches for a sick neighbor’s children. I want to be there with a little dirt under my fingernails from helping to weed someone’s garden. I want to be there with children’s sticky kisses on my cheeks and the tears of a friend on my shoulder. I want the Lord to know I was really there and that I really lived.”
The Flora Family
Celebrating 14 years of FUN!
Funny things kids say . . .
Jan. 2012 - Big D, pointing to a sore in his mouth, "I have a kangaroo sore".
Dec. 2011 - I pulled out a book at church to keep Miss Lilly entertained that had a picture of the old LDS Tabernacle with the chior in it, and she exclaimed, "Mom! It's the Acle-Tabel Chior!" (Tabernacle Chior)
Feb. 2011 - Big D asked, "Can I be a dog for my whole life?"
Dec. 2010 - Funny things we've heard around the house regarding drinking ... Master S, as we were getting ready to leave for KY to visit counsins and discussing lunch options, "When is Happy Hour?" in hopes that Steak and Shake was on the list of places to go and Big D as we were getting into the car, 'I need my sippy cup for Drinking!'.
Dec. 2010 Miss Lilly had a candy cane in her hot chocolate - after drinking it she said, 'Now my stomach is striped inside
August 2010 Seen on a homework assignment that had quesitons to answer about his summer and his likes/dislikes ... Whom do you most admire? Why? Master S' response "I admire myself, because I'm really cool." Ah, the confidence of an 8 year old!
May 2010, Miss Lilly noticed I was emotional, she asked me why and I told her it was because I felt the spirit, that I heard Heavenly Father talking to me right here and pointed to my heart. She replied so sweetly, 'it's like a tickle in your heart mommy".
April 2010 As we left a department store Miss Lilly saw a man in his leathers getting onto his motorcycle, "Looks like he's all patched up and ready to go, Mom!" and "He looks like a guy so he might as well be a guy." She makes me laugh!
February 2010 Miss Lilly "Mom, when I'm 5 I'm going to listen to everything you say!"
February 2010 Miss Lilly "I didn't buckle my seatbelt because something crazy happened when I was born ...."
January 2009 Master S: "Do they just give you a car to drive when you get your license?" I wish!
December 2009 Big D in response to what does Santa say? "Ho, Ho, Ho, Merry, Merry!"
November 2009 I was talking to Miss Lilly about her snack day at preschool, what to bring etc. She insisted on cottage cheese (apparently they are trying new things, she said) and then said, "And we need lots of bowls" and I said, "Oh? How many?" Miss Lilly responded, after thinking for a moment, "thousands mom! we have so many kids in preschool!"
October 2009 Big D is saying this everytime he takes a bite at mealtime, "mmm good"! I love it! Wish my other kids would catch on!
Oct. 12th, 2009 Master S says a bedtime, "Mom, I want you to surprise me with something for breakfast" I responded, "How about oatmeal" to which I got glares and screams of no. He then clarified and said, "You have two choices, crepes or panackes!" Some surpise it's going to be ...
Oct. 12, 2009 Miss Lilly said, "I wish I could sleep with Mommy and Daddy" as we are putting her to bed. I said, "well, when you get older and get married you can share a room with your husband." Her response was, "My husband is going to be cranky". To which I was dying to ask, "Why? Because he has to live with you?"
Sapt. 13, 2009 Master S came out of the bathroom and very seriously said, "Mom, the toilet is paralyzed!" (apparently the toilet wasn't flushing ...)
Sept. 7, 2009 Extremely random and very serious thought by Miss Lilly, "Do your ears get bigger when you get bigger?"
May 21st, 2009 We are trying to keep the windows open and the AC off, or the windows closed and the AC on ... so when I went to bed I checked on the kids and noticed a window open. Miss Lilly was still awake and as I closed the windows she said, "Mom, I'm hot!" and I said, "well, the AC is on, we need to close them." To which she responded, "But my neck is hot and I can't feel it!" Wish I couldn't feel my neck when it was hot!
May 10th, 2009 J.D. was put in as the 2nd counselor in the Bishopric today, which meant that he also became a high priest. On the way home from church, Master S said, "Yeah, Daddy is a whole priest now!"
April 22nd, 2009 J.D. told Miss Lilly that it was Grandpa Flora's birthday. She asked how old he was. When J.D. told her she said, "Wow! That's a lot of miles!"
April 13th, 2009 We were discussing Family Home Evening and who was going to do what tonight (i.e. lesson, music, activity, treat) Master S had an activity ready, J.D. volunteered the lesson, Miss Lilly asked to do the music, then she said - "No, I don't want to lead the music, I'll just do the dancing!" It was fantastic dancing by the way!
April 10th, 2009 I was trying to get the kids to clean up the mess they had made (pillows, blankets, stuffed animals, rubermaid lids, etc. all over the floor) and Miss Lilly turned to me and said, "Guess what we made? We made a contraption!"
March 27, 2009 Miss Lilly begged to call her Daddy at work today, but I put her off, knowing that J.D. was really busy. As soon as he walked in the door tonight she ran up to him and said, "Daddy, we need to get on a plane tomorrow and go visit Grandma in Florida!" I guess our days at home aren't as exciting - or as liberating as Grandma's house!
March 27, 2009 In the car (is that where all our funny moments happen?) I actually saw a cardinal flying in the woods near our home and was so excited - I was telling the kids and Master S says, "Are they eternal?" There was a pause, as we tried to figure out what me meant ... then he said, "do they sleep when we sleep?" (nocturnal)
March 26, 2009 In the car, Miss Lilly asked if we were going to live here until she grew up. When I replied, "Probably." She said, "Will there be a concert to sing at?" Confused I said, "Concert?" She responded, "So when I'm grown up and a singer I can sing at it. Becuase I want to be a singer ..." then there was a pause and, "I want to be a singer, a ballerina and a mommy when I grow up!" Sounds like a full plate to me!
March 22, 2009 Master S and J.D. were playing a game (another creation of Master S' - this one was trac-go-golf) and he says to J.D, after a pretty good throw "standing observation"! J.D. and I kinda looked at each other -- then started laughing -- I said, "Do you mean, Standing Ovation?"
Feb. 9th, 2009 on the way to the library, Master S stated, "Food is an economic need." And I'm thinking, where did he learn that?! And then he says, "And a nintendo DS, that is red and black, that your mom says you can't have, is an economic want". The things they learn at school!
Jan.30, 2009 In the car I was joking with the kids about all the funny business going on. A few minutes later Miss Lilly piped up, as she and Master S weren't getting along and said, "He took all my funny business!"
2 comments:
I love the flowers and the butterfly. Hopefully you guys will get some rain soon! We were in a drought, but ended up getting rain for 4 or 5 days and some places got flooded really badly. Thankfully, ours wasn't one of those places.
Looks like Miss Lilly is becoming a Miss Kimi Crafter. :)
I am laughing about the cookie monster song! We have heard the real version of the song lots lately and I get a kick out of the sesame street version. Thanks for sharing!
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