Kauai Hawaii

Most amazing trip of our lives!!!

Spencer and I went to Kawai for 8 days. Really it was 6 full days and 2 days of traveling.  We went all lots of hikes, saw many amazing beaches, boat ride along the coastline, zipline tour, surfing, boogie boarding, snorkeling, eating, touring, church and many other amazing adventures. 

All of the kids stayed at our house with Chayanne, one of our employees, and survived. They did some school, a lot of movie watching and some got sick. There was eating out at Yedi's a local Mexican restaurant, making treats and eating them, going to dance and classes, some cleaning and other basic life needs were met. Silas out baby had the hardest time!

We were all very grateful for the experience and to be reunited!!!

 

Games

 

We would love for these moments to happen everyday but there is still a lot of Barbie play, dress up and forts that are made by the younger kids, along with countless other creative play. 

Our oldest however rarely partakes of these play outlets. However when his sisters include him and want to play a card game or board game he is eager to be included. 

We have so many games that I think that we could do a game day once a week for an entire year and hopefully truly know how to play them all. 

There are many that we still don't even know how to play well. 

Stetson has finally figured out how to access his BYU Geometry class. 

It took so long mostly because I was needed to figure it out. 

The girls were so excited about a break for Thanksgiving that we got a lot of school attended to on Monday and Tuesday. Wednesday was dedicated to baking pies, cleaning house and preparing many yummy thanksgiving dishes. We had a great Thanksgiving with 22 in all being in our home! The remainder of the week will be preparing for the next amazing holiday. 

Loads of Leaves

We have some very large trees and they loose a lot of leaves each year. 

It can be a lot of work to clean them all up but we have discovered that a leaf blower and warm weather are amazing. The kids also love to rake them up for the first few days and then jump in them and get covered. 

We always love the change of the seasons and all the beauty that changing brings. 

It is a little sad to saying goodbye to playing outside as much as we like to in the summer months. Hopefully we have a little more time until winter comes. 

School is still a daily focus and effort. Somedays are more productive than others. It is so wonderful that Evelyn can self govern her learning for the most part and does not need my assistance for all subjects. 

 

True Colors

Stetson really didn't want to get out of his pajamas so he put his cloths on top of them. I also purchased a baby Yoda shirt and he didn't want to wear it so he wrapped it around his head and then posed really oddly so Evelyn said we had to take a picture. 

Stetson is very inclusive and has a very fun personality.  He is capable of defuse tense situations.

School is moving along. 

We are enjoying the journey of striving to improve and learn each and everyday!

 

Pumpkin Walk

 We love the pumpkin walk each year and the creativity of all those who participate. 

This year was there 40th anniversary and so they re-displayed several big hits from the past 40 years.  

The top picture is of a beach seen which is very fun! 

The kids are enjoying the change of the season and have been diligent about there studies. 

The girls are enjoying the advancement of their sewing skills and have made several pillowcases recently. 

There is a little sickness in out house but the kids, that have been sick, have still been able to do some school. 

We were able to go to Rigby, Idaho and see a some family this weekend and it was so nice to be with them!!! Thankfully the roads were clear and dry once we left Logan. 

Smithfield Temple

 So we went a little field trip on Sunday. 

We needed to drive the bus so we drove across town to Smithfield and investigated the new temple being built in that area. We were pleasantly surprised at its progress. 

The church website estimates late 2025 or early 2026 but we wouldn't be surprised 

if it is ready earlier than expected. 

As you can see in the first photo the kids all thought that the top of the bus was the 

best vantage point for viewing.  

We have struggled a little with getting Stetson to do math but we are 

hoping to resolve that this week and figure out a good routine. 

He will be competing in his first debate tournament of the year this weekend. 

We are eager to hear how he does. 

Evelyn is found dancing all over the house and is getting really good at all things ballet. 

She is excelling in her music and is being very diligent in studies. 

Hailey too is very good at the piano and has started to be more proactive 

with accomplishing her assignments. 

She is a good reader and is at times helping Bristol with her reading. 

Bristol is not super motivated most days but other days she surprises me. 

She is rather good at math and understanding numbers. 

We are hopeful that she will begin to love reading this year and truly desire to excel at this skill. 

Solar Eclipse

The solar eclipse was awesome!!!

Our amazing neighbors gave us glasses so that all of the kids had their own and were able to look at the sun safely. Unfortunately it was rather cloudy and so we had to wait for the clouds to pass but we were able to see all of the different stages. Some of the kids were not so understanding of what was happening and lots of teaching followed and then some amazement and understanding came. I would say that Hailey was the most keen on what was happening and how cool it really was. 

Spencer and Stetson were able to be right in the middle of the greatness as they went to Capital Reef National Park on a back packing trip and arch hike and were also able to view the eclipse. 

The above pictures were taken by Spencer. 

Our solar system and world are so amazing and wonderful. 

All are participating in there schooling and doing well. 

 

Fall Colors

Stetson went for a five and a half mile bike ride today and then road up a mountain to mountain bike. 

He also joined us Ice skating and went to Speech and Debate. 

Classes at Maintain Crest  continue. WE still need to work on our math class and fine tune a few other things but we are learning everyday.

Evelyn is love, love, loving her ballet class and is so excited that her group has been cast as the Russian soldiers in the upcoming Nutcracker. She cannot wait!!! She is also really enjoying her Chemistry class and Board game class. She is creating in Art Exploration and learning in all of her classes. At home we often have to pull her away from a "Thea Stilton" book and her creative drawing but she is getting really good at guitar and violin and being very diligent in her math, grammar, typing and history. 

So much to learn, so little time. 

Hailey is very playful and helpful with her younger siblings. She loves to play fun games with Silas and is very inclusive with Bristol and Ezra too. She loves to draw, act, sing and dance and is often found doing a little of all of those each day. Her piano skills are really improving and she is at times diligent about her academic classes like math, language arts and history, all are great at free play and physical activity. Too bad these are not our society's main focus for children. 

                               

Bristol is really wanting to master reading. She is such a smart girl and is so good with numbers but something with reading just hasn't clicked yet, I'm sure it will soon!

She is a good little momma always wanting to help out with Silas. She learned how to change his diaper last week and is always eager to get him out of his bed and help him to play outside. 

She is really loving Barbie's lately and any game that she and her sisters think up.

Ezra is following along with all the phonograms and reading that I am doing with Bristol he may catch on fast. He loves to make sure that Silas is safe and will inform me if he is doing something that he thinks is unsafe. He is a very kind brother likes to joke and make others laugh. 

He is a very special little guy. 

Silas favorite response right now is "Wow" and he responds very appropriately.  Stetson and his friend were watching some mountain bike crashes on You Tube and he responds "Wow" as each man crashes. Daddy shows his a new tool and he responds "Wow". 

He is such a cute guy. We all love him oh so much. 

General Conference Weekend

Every 6 months we get to have a two day feast on the words of modern prophets and apostles. It is the best 2 weekend of every year!!! We have pictures of all of the apostles and the kids love to see if one of them is speaking with each new speaker. Not all of the speakers are apostles but all are leaders in the church. I usually have a treat after each of the apostles speak. The kids really look forward to the amount of treats that are shared on this weekend. 

I tried something new this year. I chose a jar and pulled out some beads that we own and asked the kids to place a bead in the jar each time they heard the name of Jesus or any other name that gives reference to him, there are many. They were busy running back and forth. Listening for the name of Jesus and helping each other get beads in the jar for all 10 hours of conference and over the extent of the two days. 

10 hours of listening is a long time. The kids did a great job of playing quietly and trying to be attentive. They played with magnets, Duplo's, colored, eat snacks, cuddled with mom or dad, put Kiwico sets together, made bracelets, and I am sure many other creative things. 

I feel filled and I am so grateful for these amazing kids that I get to nurture and have influence upon. They are amazing people and they are growing up way to fast. 

Some activities that we participated in during the week were to go pick raspberries for the last time of the season. We went to the pumpkin patch to check out what they have and prepare for bringing home a stash. We played at the park. Jumped on the tramp. Went to Ballet. Participated on YLA , CLC and high school classes. Went to scouts, referred some soccer games, YM and YW. Work for dad. Shopping, laundry, cooking sewing, canning, cleaning, driving kids around, and so much more. It is amazing all that goes on in one family in the coarse of 7 days. 

Bike the Bear

 Stetson just went with his scout troop to Garden City for the weekend and biked 50 miles all the way around Bear Lake. They also slept over night up there and the high was 58 degrees. It was a little cold. Stetsons good friend Kade was his buddy as they road around the Lake. I guess Kade thought that his jacket would be too much weight and so as they started out he didn't want to wear it. Even though it was nearly 35 degrees.  Not many miles into the event Kade started to stop responding to Stetson questions and Stetson could tell that Kade was getting really cold, too cold. It seems that they were required to put their leaders phone number on a wrist band. Stetson says that was a small miracle on behalf of Kade. Stetson had to flag down another rider and use their phone so that he could contact his leader and get him to come to Kade's aid. Lee was able to come and get them and Kade warmed up, got his jacket and was able to finish the race. It seems that there is always something exciting happening in the life of Stetson. 

All of the kids are getting into a really great routine with school. Stetson wakes himself up every morning for classes at the high school and gets himself there. Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays the girls and I work together to do a variety of writing, spelling, typing, language arts, history and math. There is also the occasional book on CD or fairly constant morning reading of scripture and other great literature. 

September 2023

Okay, so these kids are the best at designing outfits and making up some game. They act out all sorts of parts from princes to avatar to fire bender to homeless orphan there is always something amazing going on in the Wade household. 

Raspberries are amazing!!!

There is a farm very close to our house where we have gone to pick twice now. Last time we were there we picked 10 pounds of produce. The kids truly enjoy eating there feel afterwards and then we freeze or make yummy German pancakes with whip cream and eat them that way. 

We realized that the best way to decongest our garage was to get a shed so we found one and it was delivered. Spencer the kids and I leveled out some ground and prepped the spot the week before and then poured gravel. After it was delivered we all helped to make and install shelfs and then organize it. It is so nice !!!

School schedules are working well and we are staring to get into a good groove.  

 

School

 Stetson : 

He is enrolled in Seminary with the Church of Jesus Christ of Later Day Saints. 

He is currently enrolled in robotics and engineering principles with Mountain Crest High School. 

He is in Intermittent Debate with Nalyn Nielson

We signed him up for the same scouting group as his good friend Kade. 

He says he will be attending CAP ( Civil Air Patrol) but has found other fun things to do most Wednesday nights through the summer. 

We are signed him  up for a geometry class with BYU independent studies and are still working on that. 

We will also be working on drivers Ed later in the school year

I am also requesting that he read "The Screwtape Letters" and work through a work book that correlates with that. 

Evelyn: 

She is so excited to be enrolled in Ballet this year and is happy to be in Level 3. 

She is doing "Teaching Textbooks" math,

Good and the Beautiful Language arts and writing as well as more typing.  

She is enrolled in YLA (Youth Leaders for America) taking the following classes:

                 Health and Healing in Nature - Botanical  Science

                 Yoga

                World of Writing

                Chemistry

                Board Game Club 

                Art Exploration

She is also involved as a 2nd year orchestra member and taking private guitar lessons

We will also be doing a good and the beautiful History class with Hailey 

Hailey and Bristol are both enrolled at CLC ( Cache Learning Center) 

                Drama 

                Printmaking

                Choir

                Lego Club

Hailey is doing a Language arts program through good and the beautiful and math as well

Bristol is working hard on reading and doing a good and the beautiful math. 

The Scholie

 This is our "Skoolie" we have owned the bus for a few years but it was this last winter that we officially began the conversion. This project for a long time was mostly Spencer's project but as our deadline for our maiden voyage approached it became very real to the rest of the family. There was plenty of running around for the kids as many a day we assigned the kids to just be with dad and run and get or do whatever he needed.  There was painting, sewing, lots of clean up, tool finding, vacuuming, cooling dad down with spay bottles of water until we installed the swamp cooler. Taping and untapping. Removing decals like "emergence exit" more clean up and finding of tools. Fetching dad snacks and water and holding things. Stetson got to do a little more hands on tinkering creating thing with dad. We all really enjoyed seeing dads vision come about and become a reality. So many hours went into this and we still have a few more projects left to finish up.