the countdown......

Gene finally had a day off......he's been gone so much night and day....we finally just pulled the kids out of school for the day and ran to Dollywood.  We showed him all around and tried a few new rides.

We saw an American bald eagle in the bird show.  It was so beautiful close up.  We learned that

 they are no longer  on the endangered list  but are protected.

Here is my mother's day gift...the San Diego temple picture.  I was able to see inside before it was dedicated while I was in college.  It is one of my favorites.  We also went out to eat and saw Iron Man 3.  How thrilling that movie was.  I loved how that suit just followed him everywhere and came when he called and how it protected Pepper!  What fun!

 

                 They were kind enough to let him jump in the picture.  He misses his friends!

Now Jacob  is homeschooled.  We were able to meet up with friends on field day.  He cheered them on and was able to do the water balloon toss too!

Emily had her field day too.....the most fun was with friends.  Here they were trying to show me their handshake and kept "messing up"....It makes me happy to see them laugh.

Sheer look of determination.  They pulled and tugged.  It really helps to bite your lower lip!

She started hopping and her headband began to fall out....funny, funny times. 

Emily and Surra. 

Emily has come a long way over the years!  3 more days of school

and then she is officially a middle schooler!  They had a field trip over to the middle school and were serenaded by Tara's girl's ensemble.  Members of NJHS escorted the 5th graders around but, Tara couldn't because she had an End Of Course final at that time.  It's nice to have a sister to help out and find your way around such a big school.  We stayed after school one day and helped plant a memorial garden for Emily's teacher that passed away in October.  Gene was in Indiana this past week (his birthplace).  He also was asked to substitute seminary a couple of times (and loved it!)  Tara took a sewing class at JoAnn's last Saturday.  Her teacher said she has a lead foot....super speedy.   Maybe we can learn a little foot control before we start driving!  She's excited to spend some of the summer coming up with some of her own sewing creations.  Jacob has finished all of his webelo requirements  except the overnight campout.  If we could just find a day dad was free!  He has until February to complete it.....also has been working on knots.  We will find a day that it's not supposed to rain to try putting up the tent.  I just realized last year at this time I was throwing a "last school day end-of-summer glow-in-the-dark party."  It snuck up on me this year...so, I've decided we are just going to quietly let summer come all on it's own.  Shhh!  it's almost here.

Raingutter Regatta, glasses, Trills and Thrills

Jake and Dad put together a boat that was straw-breath powered.  A race for an anxiety ridden boy requiring fast breathing was stressful.  But, his boat was fantastic and he came in 2nd place.

Emily and her new glasses.  She complained of headaches and blurriness.  But, she had her eyes checked by the school.  Obviously they need a few more tools to diagnose.  Her left eye is a lazy eye.  Her right eye was doing all the work.  Her right eye is 20/20.  It's taken a few days to adjust with other kinds of headaches but hopefully it will all work out with no need of an eye patch.

Trills and Thrills.  The girls ensemble's last competition at Heritage H.S.

She really stepped up this year in showing courage.  This is a group she had to audition for and had early morning rehearsals twice a week.  There were only six 7th graders out of the 18 members. 

Friend(and fellow beehive) Emma joined Brooke and Tara and our group to head to the thrilling part of the day.  Dollywood from 10am 'til closing time 7pm!

4 times on the river rampage

2 times on the dizzy disk

2 times on the airplane swing

Only once on the scrambler

SHHHHHH!!! don't tell anyone....while Emily was playing Hookie.....so was her own teacher! 

We met up during lunch and rode the swings for fun.

The Wild Eagle.  Only a few brave souls attempted the screaming 70mph ride.  We watched from below and cringed! Maybe next year.

This one was fun....you had a water gun, if you hit the target, it shot water back at you.  Plenty of ways to get wet on this one!

4 times on the Daredevil Falls! 

Trying on hats, eating warm fresh from the mill/oven cinnamon bread and 5 times on the bumper cars

rounded off the day.  I should have gotten a photo of them all soaking wet and slowly walking back to the car...but, by then I was too tired to take anymore photos.