This will be my new pantry.

Looking at the pantry from the garage entrance

New bedroom (12'x18') with 10 foot ceilings, two windows,

a nice big closet, and room for storage.

Garage door from the inside.

The door heading from the house into the new part.

This used to be the window on the west side of the house.

Mike putting the new roof on. It is looking great!

Well, tomorrow starts a new school year for me. FUN! I am excited to work with the students but not ready to go back to work. Does that even make sense? I had a busy week with meetings for Kirk, working on the house, going to the temple, working for Carrol and then of course reading and sleeping.

I have sidewalks now! I am so excited. Erik and I worked on putting sheet rock up last night. The night before Mike and I worked on taping my new bedroom. The day before I finished insulating every where. Where do we stop! I now have a hole in the house to the new garage and bedroom. When Whitney saw it her eyes got real big and said, "daddy took out the window?" So cute.

Suggestions to follow when sending your kids to school

I can't believe the summer is over for me. Everyone keeps asking if I am ready to go back to work. Honestly? Not yet! I have to much to do. The garage is coming along but there is still so much to do and so little time. I personally can't do much of it but I have tried to help as much as possible. Anyone out there like to do insulation? Yep, that has been my job. Well, for all you moms out there that will be sending your children to school I would like to make a few suggestions: 1. send them to bed early (six will be fine with me) 2. get them up just before they head out the door but make sure you give them a granola bar and a comb so they can comb their hair and eat at the same time. 3. Have them do there homework when they get home from school this will allow them time to get it done before they have to eat at 5 and bath at 5:30 and then to bed at 6:00. 4. Talk to your children (we love to know what is going on in your life!! I've heard some good ones) 5. Remember to send the teachers thank you gifts (candy is always good!) 6. Volunteer to help (we love to see why the children behave like they do) 7. Call your child's teacher at home and ask why they are getting that low grade (teachers love this!) 8. If you want to get rid of a certain toy send it so school, we will gladly get rid of it for you 9. Remember we love your children (sometimes more than others) 10. Last but not least, forget the above advice and trust us to love your child while they are away from you, we wouldn't be in this field if we didn't love working with the students.

Have you ever had one of those days when you just don't want to do anything? That was my day. However, I did do a few things. Went to the dump. Emptied the trailer. Payed to dump the garbage. ATE Watched Whitney sleep. Handed Mike some 2/6's Climbed up on the roof. Had a sick feeling in my stomach when I climb higher on the roof. (don't like heights!) Climbed down the ladder. Drew pictures for Whitney on the etch a sketch Made salad (twice) Walked around the cemetery Read Sat in my rocker watching Runway and NCIS What a fun, stress less day!

A few of the kids at my house during the reuion.

I have been helping at the shop every afternoon and enjoying the time to get some sewing done. I have made several things. Carrol is teaching me how to quilt! Not sure if I am ready for the big things but have enjoyed the little squares she is having me make. I have made several table runners and table toppers. I sure appreciate her and her talent. I have learned a great deal from her. Her husband and her took Shawnee's stuff, in the shops trailor, down to Logan on Thursday. Erik and Shawnee followed in the car. My house is bare now. I think Shawnee will be leaving the middle of August. She had to rent the apartment now though to have it secured. She is very anxious about having to start all over but I keep encouraging her. I am afraid she is too much like her mother and is a home body. She has enjoyed being with the little ones and will miss them terribly. Our family reunion went great. Everyone of my brothers and sisters and most of their families were able to come. I had a house full. We also had an extended Mayes reunion on the 4th and there were over 200 there. We had almost 100 just with our family. It was a lot of work but worth it. All of my sister Pauline's girls and their families stayed with me. Mike is coming along on the garage. They poured the driveway this week and he has it almost completely framed in. Erik will be doing the wiring next week then I think they will build the trusses over the dinning room area next. I think he wants to get it done by the time they move in with me in September but I don't think it will be done that quick because he can only work on it after his own work. Nicole is starting a new business and they will be using their house as part of the business. Her mother is moving here and they will then start a group home for Kirk and then they hope to build up the business as time goes on. I hope it works out the way they want it too. If all works out we will move Kirk home in September to his new house. Well enough is enough.

Boy how the time flies by. Only one more week of summer school. Shawnee and I have been watching Bryan and Chelsey's little ones. They are so cute. They have done well considering they miss their mom and dad. We finally got the concrete poured for the garage. With all the rain it was hard to find a good day. Don't get me wrong, I have enjoyed the rain because I haven't had to water! However my poor yard suffered from all the truck traffic on it. I now have rivets all over it (hard to mow) but as my dad would always say, "it will grow back!" I did have to move my garden three times so not sure if we will get much from it but I was faithful and planted and replanted it and then replanted so the trucks wouldn't run the plants over. I do love my flowers and plants! (sorry kids) Well until next time. Hopefully it won't take me three weeks to write again. Until next time, chin up and keep pressing forward!