Hello everyone, It has been a long time sense I last wrote. Life has been busy around here. To begin the story let me start with Kirk. As of May he no longer was able to stay at the place in Thermopolis. I had to find a group home for him. My desire was to bring him home but I knew I would not be able to do it alone and I would let him get away with more than he should. However, still my greatest desire was to have him closer to home yet still have the opportunity to grow. I had decided to have go to Worland at Big Horn Enterprises after searching for the best place that would fit his needs. In the mist of all the decision I told Mike and Nicole about my desire of having him closer. Nicole took that information to heart and talked to her mom in Washington about starting a business that would allow adults like Kirk to be serviced in Lovell. Nicole got certified to work with clients and her mom moved out here to run the program. I was so excited to think that we could bring him back to Lovell. So as of Sept. 1 Kirk is living in Lovell about three blocks from me. What a blessing to have Janet (Nicole’s mom) and Nicole willing to do this. They will be expanding their program as soon as Kirk gets settled which he seems to be doing. With him moving home a home needed to be provided so Mike and Nicole who had been trying to sell their home made their home into his new home. Janet and Kirk now live there and Mike and Nicole and kids are living with me until they get their new home built. In order for the state program to pay for Day Hab. and residential care he had to be in a home other than mine. Each day gets a little easier for him and he is less confused about what is happening. I went over to see him today and the whole time I was there he kept saying, “go home, go home”. I kept trying to tell him that he was home. Hopefully he will realize he is at home and will settle in. The Day Hab. is across the street in an office building. They did a nice job fixing it up. Nicole’s dad and brother along with his girlfriend were a big help through the whole process. Klete (Nicole’s dad) blocked the new foundation for Mike and Nicole’s new house. He was very busy. I guess the saying goes many hands make light work. I didn’t do too much myself. I think everyone thinks I am too old and can’t do much anymore now that I’ve turned 55. I myself feel that way when my bones start aching. Shawnee moved to Logan in the middle of Aug. where she is attending college (USU) to receive her masters in Human development. She is working hard and is often over whelmed with all the reading and extra things she has to do. She is an assistant to one of the professors so her time is spent helping others. She is playing the organ for institute devotionals once a week. She was in the choir but had to quit so she could fulfill her other responsibilities. She hates being away from the little nieces and nephews. She has grown very close to all of them and they all love her. I am so grateful that she was here for me this past year. She kept me going and kept me from feeling sorry for myself. Her blog: http://iamshawnee.blogspot.com/ Erik and his family live about 4 blocks from us as well. Sariah will be turning 8 in December and is anticipating her baptism. She is now in second grade and loves it. Bekah is in preschool and just turned four. She misses her sister while she has been in school. Sandy still works for the college in their food department. She worked this summer for the game and fish. A job she loves! Erik continues to work at the family’s body shop for his uncle and cousin. With Mike and Nicole living with me I get to see their two little pumpkins every day. It is so much fun to see them grow and learn. Whitney loves to dance and sing. She performs for us daily. Wilson is now starting to rock on his hands and knees. He may be crawling in the next week or two. That should be interesting. He is such a grunter. Every time anyone is eating he grunts thinking he should get some of whatever is being eaten. It is very funny to watch him. Nicole continues to make bows and is very artistic in her creations. Whitney is 2 going on 20 and Wilson is almost 7 months old. Here is their blog address. http://miknicfamily.blogspot.com/ Bryan, Chelsey, Hannah, and Hayden live in Gillette Wy. About 4 hours away. I don’t get to see them as often as I would like. It is partly my fault because I hate to travel and haven’t been there in a while. Bryan works for the city in the water department and is taking a few classes from the community college. Chelsey gets to be a stay at home mom during the day and does some building cleaning on the weekends. She is such a great mom. Hannah just turned 3 and Hayden is 2 and into everything. Here is their blog address. http://cbhendershot.blogspot.com/ As for myself I am learning to take one day at a time. Some days are harder than others but after a good cry I feel better and I am given strength from above to move forward. I have been so blessed in so many ways this past year. Mike and Erik added a garage onto my house with a room on the back. I moved into that room when they moved into the house. The house has changed so much but I love it. You wouldn’t believe it is the same place. During the summer I helped at the family fabric shop. My cousin who runs it had cancer so there were many days she wasn’t able to work at all. We are just so grateful that she is now cancer free (we pray daily that it remains that way). She got me quilting again and I love it but haven’t had the time sense school started and all the moving. Hopefully next week I can get my machine out and get started again. My blog: http://geraldine-geraldinesworld.blogspot.com/ I pray each of you are well and happy. Sorry for the long letter but wanted to catch everyone up on the happenings around here. May the Lord bless you and protect you and your families. Love, Geraldine

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.